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Line 31: − + − + − + + − Paleontologists once believed there were several species of Triceratops, judging from the large number of [[fossil]] remains, but it is now thought that there were just two, ''T. horridus'' and the larger ''T. prorsus''. In the evolutionary paradigm, they would have been among the last of the dinosaurs, living in the late [[Cretaceous]] period. Fossils of Triceratops have so far been found only in North America.<ref>''The Complete Book of Dinosaurs'', by Dougal Dixon, Anness Publishing, 2006</ref>+ − + + + + + + − +
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|image=Fdt566e4.jpg
|image=Fdt566e4.jpg
|caption=
|caption=
|superkingdom=
|domain=Eukaryota
|kingdom= Animalia
|kingdom=Animalia
|subkingdom=
|subkingdom=Bilateria
|superphylum=
|branch=Deuterostomia
|phylum=Chordata
|phylum=Chordata
|subphylum=
|subphylum=Vertebrata
|infraphylum=
|infraphylum=Gnathostomata
|microphylum=
|microphylum=
|superdivision=
|superdivision=
|division=
|division=
|subdivision=
|subdivision=
|superclass=
|superclass=Tetrapoda
|class=Sauropsida
|class=Reptilia
|subclass=Diapsida
|subclass=Diapsida
|infraclass=Archosauromorpha
|infraclass=Archosauromorpha
|genus=Triceratops
|genus=Triceratops
|subgenus=
|subgenus=
|species=T. horridus; T. prorsus
|species=T. horridus<br/>T. prorsus
|binomialname=
|binomialname=
|sub=
|sub=
|alt=
|alt=
}}
}}
'''Triceratops''' ("three-horned face") was a large North [[America]]n ceratopsian (horned) [[dinosaur]]. It had a large bony frill protecting its neck and three horns - one over each eye and a smaller one on its beaked snout.
'''Triceratops''' (Greek: τρι-κέρας-ωψ; "three-horned face"<ref>Liddell, H.G., and R. Scott. Greek-English Lexicon, Abridged Edition. Oxford University Press, Oxford, United Kingdom, 1980</ref>) were two species of a large ceratopsian (horned) [[dinosaur]], known from fossilized remains found in [[North America]] .
Triceratops was herbivorous, up to 26 feet long, and could weigh up to 6 tons. The skull of Triceratops, which is approximately a third of the entire animal's length, is among the largest known for all land animals.
==Description==
''Triceratops'' was large, up to 26 feet long, with an estimated weight up to 6 tons. The forelimbs were shorter than the hindlimbs, yet current measurements indicate ''Triceratops'' was able to trot and charge much like a modern rhinoceros despite its bulk. The skull was nearly a third of the entire animal's length, and bore three horns - one over each eye and a smaller one on its snout. A frill of solid bone extended from the back of the skull over the animal's neck, giving some protection for that area from predators, as well as serving as an anchor for powerful neck muscles.
The mouth was beaked at the fore, leading scientists to speculate that it fed by "nipping" vegetation rather than grazing; the food was then ground down by a battery of simple, yet effective, cheek teeth. They were assumed to have been browsers of low-lying plants, and judging from fossilized tracks they roamed in small herds.
Creationists hold that Triceratops, along with other [[dinosaurs]], were created during the sixth day of [[creation week]], and did not survive the post-flood world.
==Evolutionary claims==
Paleontologists once believed there were several species of Triceratops, judging from the large number of [[fossil]] remains, but it is now thought that there were just two, ''T. horridus'' and the larger ''T. prorsus''; the remaining eight animals considered as subspecies or dubious due to being incomplete. According to evolution, they are descended from ''Psittacosaurus'', a small bipedal ornithopod whose remains were found in central Asia, and from there the ceratopsian line migrated to North America. ''Triceratops'' has been considered the last of the line, existing just before the end of the [[Cretaceous]] period.<ref>''The Complete Book of Dinosaurs'', by Dougal Dixon, Anness Publishing, 2006</ref>
There has been a recent claim that ''Triceratops'' may not have existed at all. According to the ''Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology''<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-20012471-501465.html</ref><ref>http://www.vertpaleo.org/publications/index.cfm</ref>, ''Triceratops'' may have been an animal known as [[Torosaurus|''Torosaurus'']], but at a much younger growth stage. Scientists theorize that ''Triceratops'' - like all reptiles - continued to grow with age; this growth included changes to the frill which - according to the theory - changed from the deeply-curved solid bone of ''Tricertops'' into the "straight-backed" frill of ''Torosaurus'', a change of which also involved a ''loss'' of bone (the ''fenestræ'', or "windows" in the frill) as a result. According to Dr. Jack Horner, this process involved "metaplastic" bone which caused a change in the shape of the skull as the animal aged, i.e the backward pointing horns of a baby ''Triceratops'' turning into the forward pointing horns of an adult.<ref>http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031002314.htm</ref>
Creationists hold that ''Triceratops'', along with other [[dinosaurs]], were created during the sixth day of [[creation week]], and did not survive the post-flood world. In support of the [[great flood]] catastrophe, all known ''Triceratops'' fossils - including their trackways - were found in sedimentary (water-laid) rock.
Triceratops is the official state dinosaur of [[Wyoming]].<ref>http://wyoming.gov/general.aspx</ref>
Triceratops is the official state dinosaur of [[Wyoming]].<ref>http://wyoming.gov/general.aspx</ref>
==References==
==References==
<references/>
<small><references/></small>
[[Category:Dinosaurs]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs]]