Although the word Triceratops means 3 horned face, this dinosaur actually only had 2 proper horns. Learn more about Triceratops below. Triceratops also had “batteries” of shearing teeth in its jaws. They lived in what is known as the Mesozoic Era, divided into Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. Triceratops is Greek for "three-horned face," but this dinosaur actually had only two genuine horns; the third, a... 02. Along with its other plant-eaters, Triceratops was therefore extinct by the loss of its accustomed vegetation, as clouds of dust circled the globe during this extinction crisis. Source: about.com, In 19th century, Othneil C. Marsh discovered a Triceratops’ partial skull with horns intact from the parts of Western America. The ceratopsians were dinosaurs with large beaks and strictly fed on a plant-based diet. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. 7 Interesting Facts About Argentinosaurus, 11 Interesting Facts About Russell’s Viper, 16 Interesting Facts About The Ball Python, 29 Interesting Facts About The Bengal Tiger, 13 Interesting Facts About Mt. The fact is, though, that early mammals lived alongside sauropods, hadrosaurs, and tyrannosaurs (usually high up in trees, away from the heavy foot traffic) for most of the Mesozoic Era. The name Triceratops is pronounced: "try-SAIR-uh-tops". The majority is vast and answers few, so let us take a look at some interesting facts about Triceratops that will help you decide why you must like this dinosaur! Triceratops had powerful horns on their heads. Triceratops had nose horns they used for defence. Source: wikipedia, Image: jurassicworld.com, Traditionally, the frills on Triceratops’ head have been viewed as defensive weapons against predators. That’s where T-Rex lived too, by the way! Recently new theories have been evolved, suggesting that these features were primarily used in identification, courtship and dominance displays just like reindeer, mountain goats and rhino beetles. Triceratops skeleton displayed at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The name Triceratops means: "Three-horned Face". They didn’t let it go to their heads, though. Interesting Facts About the Triceratops. Would You Like Your Triceratops Baked or Sauteed? Especially, they used their horns as a weapon to defeat their opponent during the mating season. Okay gang, stay close and stick together because we’re headed back in time – to the age of the dinosaurs! Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Triceratops is a horned herbivorous, or plant-eating, dinosaur that inhabited North America during part of the late Cretaceous period, approximately 65 to 70 million years ago. It was necessary for the dinosaurs to protect the neck and back of the head in case of a fall. According to CNN, a young man discovered the fossils during an excavation in North Dakota. – 10 Possible Causes, 12 Things Carpenter Ants Do to Ensure their Survival, 15 Interesting Facts about Golden Retrievers. Scientists first found this strange animal weathering out of the hillsides. Source: about.com, Image: imagesweneed.com. Survived Till the Brink of K/T Extinction, For all (most of) the people who do not know about the K/T Extinction, it is the period where the dinosaurs were rendered extinct because of catastrophic reasons about 66 millions year ago! It is believed that the triceratops lived during a portion of the Cretaceous period around 70 million years ago. For the first time, the remains of the triceratops horn were discovered by the famous paleontologist and “dinosaur hunter” Othniel Charles Marsh in America, in 1887. How much do you know about them? These dinosaurs walked the Earth in the late Cretaceous Period (around 65 million years ago) and were often pictured as travelling in large groups. Another interesting fact about triceratops is that almost one third of the length of the Triceratops was its skull. The first known fossils were triceratops-horns attached to a. In other words, herds of triceratops stick together to better protect themselves from ferocious predators and other aggressive dinosaurs. All four legs were thick as pillars. With a thick bony shield that covered its neck, a Triceratops skull could grow to be as long as 6 and ½ feet long. The third horn must not have been very useful while on a tiff. The Triceratops had the largest shielded skull of any known dinosaur. Paleontologist John Scannella observed: “It is hard to walk out into the Hell Creek Formation and not stumble upon a Triceratops weathering out of a hillside.” 47 complete and partial skeletons have been recovered in just that area. In fact, they evolved at around the same time—during the late Triassic period—from a population of therapsid reptiles. Its skull was very long (up to 8.2 feet in length) and extremely heavy (more than 3 tons of weight). Triceratops lived in large groups. Additional Resources on Ankylosauruses. Source: about.com, Not really, but they were definitely the size of one! Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia. Triceratops lived during the Cretaceous period. Here are certain interesting facts about Triceratops Horridus: The habitats in which Triceratops inhabited was much warmer and wetter than what we typically live in today. Just the name conjures up all sorts of emotions. In fact, scientists arent really sure what the purpose of this false horn is. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Sure, T-Rex won’t mind any cooking style since he can even chew it uncooked if he is out of gas. This process continued throughout this dinosaur’s lifetime. construction site in Thornton, Colorado indicate. Source: wikipedia, Image: jurassicworld.com. No doubt about it: Triceratops had one heck of a noggin, which could stretch 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) from end to end. Founder of FactPros.com Those fossilized remnants showed the traces of a healed wound from a Tyrannosaurus bite, which suggests that the Triceratops was able to fight off the dominant predator and lived long enough after the encounter for the bite wound to heal. The name Triceratops comes from the Greek language, with tri meaning three and keratops meaning horned face Triceratops had the biggest skull with a solid shield than any other dinosaur. Despite this, most people know next to nothing about these reptiles! I’d be lying if I say Tyrannosaurs Rex v/s Triceratops is not worth watching! They are believed to have been found in the regions stretching from the Gulf of Mexico all across to … They have unique and memorable features that cannot be confused with other dinosaur species. Writer, Researcher, Fact-finder, and All-in-one Using those threatening horns, triceratops could protect themselves from all sorts of predators and other dinosaurs. Not every rapacious dinosaur dared to attack an adult triceratops. It was the last period of, Triceratops lived on the North American continent. How did the Mayan Civilization Disappear? Scientists have studied the habits of triceratops quite well and found out that at the time when the herd was attacked by predators, all the males of these dinosaurs came out to meet the enemy. Triceratops had strong teeth that were able to crush not only leaves but also very tough branches and roots. 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