Torosaurus is a fascinating dinosaur species that many people are eager to learn about.
Facts
- Probably lived near the coast of North America, where Torosaurus roamed.
- Was a plant eater or herbivore like many other dinosaurs of its time.
- Life size statue of this dinosaur is at the Peabody Museum of Natural History, showcasing Torosaurus in all its glory.
- Fossils have been found in Wyoming, providing crucial insights into its existence.
- Their bony frills had big holes in them, an unmistakable feature.
Torosaurus
Torosaurus is an herbivorous dinosaur which lived approximately 70 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous Period. It was discovered in 1891 by John Bell Hatcher and was named by Othniel Charles Marsh. He gave it the name Torosaurus, which may be translated either as “pierced lizard” or “bull lizard” depending on whether you use Latin or Greek to translate it.
Torosaurus was approximately 25 feet long, 8 feet tall at the hips and probably weighed around 8 tons. Its skull was very large, in excess of 8 feet long, with a bony frill behind the back of the skull. This dinosaur also had a toothless beak and a large, heavy body like a triceratops. Interestingly, there is currently some debate over whether this dinosaur is a species by itself or merely a full-grown Triceratops, making the classification of Torosaurus intriguing.
Paleontologists John Scannella and Jack Horner proposed their theory in 2009. They suggested that this dinosaur was merely the mature form of Triceratops. Since then, paleontologists have gone back and forth over whether this is really the case or if Scannella and Horner were merely mistaken. Likely, this debate about Torosaurus will continue to rage on.
If it's found that this dinosaur is merely a full-grown Triceratops, then this species name would cease to exist. This is because Triceratops was discovered first and, as such, would retain their name.
Torosaurus Pictures
