Thursday, July 18, 2013

Hey Big Nose!!!

Utah is a true Happy Hunting Ground for scientists and dinosaur buffs alike. This state is jam-packed with fossils all over, with new species being found frequently. In the most recent, paleontologists have discovered a new dinosaur, a Triceratops relative with a supersize schnoz that once roamed present-day Utah. Nasutoceratops titusi belonged to a group of horned dinosaurs called ceratopsids, large four-legged herbivores that thrived during the Cretaceous period, according to a study released last Tuesday. Most ceratopsids were Triceratops-style, with huge heads bearing a small horn over the nose, a horn over each eye, and an ornate frill—a bony protrusion that fanned out over the base of the neck. But the newfound dinosaur looked quite different, with a small horn over its oversize nose; extremely long, curved horns over its eyes; and a simple frill without hooks and spikes. The first part of the name Nasutoceratops titusi translates to "big nose horned face" in Latin. Cooooool. (Thanks to National Geographic).

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