Difference between revisions of "Triceratops"
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| − | '''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 | + | '''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 ceratopsian (horned) [[dinosaur]], known from fossilized remains found in [[North America]] . |
==Description== | ==Description== | ||
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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. | 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. | ||
| − | + | The first specimen of ''Triceratops'' was found in 1887 near Denver, Colorado and sent to [[Othniel Charles Marsh]], one of America's leading paleontologists at that time. Assuming it was a mammal rather than a reptile, the remains - which consisted only of a pair of brow horns - was given the name ''Bison alticornis''. It would only take a few short years and several more specimens before Marsh was convinced he had a new ceratopsian dinosaur, giving it the familiar name known today. | |
| − | + | ||
| − | There has been a recent claim that ''Triceratops'' may not have existed at all. According to the ''Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology''<ref> | + | ===Species=== |
| + | *Genus ''Triceratops'' | ||
| + | :''Triceratops horridus'' | ||
| + | :''Triceratops prorsus'' | ||
| + | |||
| + | 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. | ||
| + | [[File:Cerotopsiansfig037a.jpg|left|200px|thumb|comparison of ''Triceratops'' and ''Torosaurus'' skulls.]] | ||
| + | [[File:Fdt566e4.jpg|left|200px|thumb|American Museum specimen of ''T. horridus''; possible metaplastic bone can be clearly seen in the frill.]] | ||
| + | There has been a recent claim that ''Triceratops'' may not have existed at all. According to the ''Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology'',<ref>https://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]]'', 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>https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031002314.htm</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Evolutionary claims== | ||
| + | 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> | ||
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. | 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. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Armitage controversy=== | ||
| + | Mark H. Armitage and Kevin Anderson had written a peer-reviewed paper which was published in the July, 2013 scientific journal ''Acta Histochemica''<ref>http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065128113000020</ref> about their discovery of a ''Triceratops'' horn in the Hell Creek formation of Montana, and specifically soft tissue within the horn which was found after using an electron microscope. Never explained within the publication was the suggestion that the soft tissue came from an animal which died far less than the 65 million years alluded by evolution; in fact, when a minor question was made to a student - Armitage worked at California State University, Northridge as a microscope technician - Armitage was promptly fired due to "his creationist beliefs".<ref>http://www.worldmag.com/2014/07/university_fires_scientist_after_dinosaur_discovery_offers_young_earth_evidence</ref><ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOh8apxzIU0</ref> Armitage has since filed a religious/wrongful termination lawsuit against the university. | ||
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== | ||
| − | + | {{Reflist}} | |
[[Category:Dinosaurs]] | [[Category:Dinosaurs]] | ||
Latest revision as of 20:59, September 26, 2018
| Triceratops | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom Information | |
| Domain | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Subkingdom | Bilateria |
| Branch | Deuterostomia |
| Phylum Information | |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Sub-phylum | Vertebrata |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata |
| Class Information | |
| Superclass | Tetrapoda |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Sub-class | Diapsida |
| Infra-class | Archosauromorpha |
| Order Information | |
| Superorder | Dinosauria |
| Order | Ornithischia |
| Sub-order | Cerapoda |
| Infraorder | Ceratopsia |
| Family Information | |
| Family | Ceratopsidae |
| Sub-family | Ceratopsinae |
| Genus Information | |
| Genus | Triceratops |
| Species Information | |
| Species | T. horridus T. prorsus |
| Population statistics | |
| Conservation status | Extinct |
Triceratops (Greek: τρι-κέρας-ωψ; "three-horned face"[1]) were two species of ceratopsian (horned) dinosaur, known from fossilized remains found in North America .
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.
The first specimen of Triceratops was found in 1887 near Denver, Colorado and sent to Othniel Charles Marsh, one of America's leading paleontologists at that time. Assuming it was a mammal rather than a reptile, the remains - which consisted only of a pair of brow horns - was given the name Bison alticornis. It would only take a few short years and several more specimens before Marsh was convinced he had a new ceratopsian dinosaur, giving it the familiar name known today.
Species
- Genus Triceratops
- Triceratops horridus
- Triceratops prorsus
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.
There has been a recent claim that Triceratops may not have existed at all. According to the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology,[2][3] Triceratops may have been an animal known as 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.[4]
Evolutionary claims
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.[5]
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.
Armitage controversy
Mark H. Armitage and Kevin Anderson had written a peer-reviewed paper which was published in the July, 2013 scientific journal Acta Histochemica[6] about their discovery of a Triceratops horn in the Hell Creek formation of Montana, and specifically soft tissue within the horn which was found after using an electron microscope. Never explained within the publication was the suggestion that the soft tissue came from an animal which died far less than the 65 million years alluded by evolution; in fact, when a minor question was made to a student - Armitage worked at California State University, Northridge as a microscope technician - Armitage was promptly fired due to "his creationist beliefs".[7][8] Armitage has since filed a religious/wrongful termination lawsuit against the university.
Triceratops is the official state dinosaur of Wyoming.[9]
References
- ↑ Liddell, H.G., and R. Scott. Greek-English Lexicon, Abridged Edition. Oxford University Press, Oxford, United Kingdom, 1980
- ↑ https://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-20012471-501465.html
- ↑ http://www.vertpaleo.org/publications/index.cfm
- ↑ https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031002314.htm
- ↑ The Complete Book of Dinosaurs, by Dougal Dixon, Anness Publishing, 2006
- ↑ http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065128113000020
- ↑ http://www.worldmag.com/2014/07/university_fires_scientist_after_dinosaur_discovery_offers_young_earth_evidence
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOh8apxzIU0
- ↑ http://wyoming.gov/general.aspx
