Today's dino is one of my all-time favourites and an icon of the Late Jurassic: Stegosaurus.
Pronunciation: Steg-oh-sore-us Meaning of name: "Roofed lizard", because palaeontologists once thought the plates on its back lay flat like tiles on a roof. Species: S. sulcatus, S. stenops, S. ungulatus. Size: Depending on species, measured between 7 and 9 metres long, 4 metres high and weighing between 5 and 7 metric tonnes. Family: Stegosauridae Diet: Herbivore. Fed on low-growing vegetation. First fossils found: Known from several specimens, the first of which was discovered by M. P. Felch in the Morrison Formation of Colorado in 1876. Named by American palaeontologist, Othniel Charles Marsh, in 1877. Whilst the metre-long tail spikes were most likely used for defense, the function of the plates is unknown. It's been suggested the plates were used primarily for display. They may also have been used to help regulate the animal's body temperature. Lived: 155 to 150 million years ago during the Kimmeridgian and Tithonian stages of the Late Jurassic in what is now Portugal and the western United States.
Today's dino is another of my personal favourites: Triceratops
Pronunciation: Tri-seh-rah-tops. Meaning of name: "Three horned face". Species: T. horridus, T. prorsus. Size: Between 7 and 9 metres long, 3 metres high and weighing between 6 and 12 metric tonnes. Family: Ceratopsidae. Diet: Herbivore. Used a parrot-like beak and up to 800 teeth to chop up tough low-growing vegetation. First fossils discovered: Known from several specimens. First discovery was a pair of brow horns attached to a skull roof, found in 1887 near Denver, Colorado, USA. First complete skull found by American palaeontologist, John Bell Hatcher, in 1888. Named by American palaeontologist, Othniel Charles Marsh, in 1889. In recent years, there's been some debate regarding whether or not Triceratops is a valid species, with some people suggesting that Torosaurus may be a growth stage of Triceratops. It's believed the horns and neck shield were used primary for display, but may also have been used for defense. Lived: 68 to 66 million years ago during the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous in what is now western North America.
Despite both of these animals being herbivores, you'd still have to be careful around them, as they're relatively large when compared to a person. As it lacked ossified tendons, the tail of Stegosaurus was very flexible and the spikes stuck out sideways. Studies of the spikes have shown a high incidence of trauma-related damage, suggesting that they were indeed used as weapons. There's also an Allosaurus tail bone with a puncture wound that matches the size and shape of a Stegosaurus tail spike. Triceratops, on the other hand, carried its weapons on its head, a 1-metre-long horn above each eye and a slightly shorter horn on its snout. The horns curved upwards and could possibly have been used to stab at predators. There's fossil evidence, in the form of tooth marks, showing that Triceratops did, on some occasions, have physical encounters with T-Rex.
And the award for 'Dinosaur with the Strangest Name' goes to....Irritator!
Pronunciation: Ih-re-tay-tor Meaning of name: "Irritating", in reference to the frustration felt by palaeontologists having to repair the damage illegal collectors had done to the only known fossils. Species: I. challengeri Size: Estimated to have measured around 8 metres long, 2.5 metres tall and weighing between 1 and 4 metric tonnes. Family: Spinosauridae. Diet: Carnivore. First fossils found: Known only from a skull and some vertebrae discovered by commercial fossil poachers in the Romualdo Formation of northeastern Brazil in 1996. In hopes of making the skull look more complete and, therefore, more valuable, the collectors tried to reconstruct it by grafting parts of the upper jaw to the snout before illegally selling it to a museum in Germany. When palaeontologists finally got the skull, they had to work for hours to repair the damage the collectors had done before they could identify what type of dinosaur they had. Named in the same year by D. M. Martill, A. R. I. Cruikshank, E. Frey, P. G. Small and M. Clarke. Lived: 110 million years ago during the Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous in what is now northeastern Brazil.
Today's dino is well-known for its appearance in Jurassic Park: Velociraptor.
Pronunciation: Veh-loss-ah-rap-tor. Meaning of name: "Fast thief". Species: V. mongoliensis, V. osmolskae. Size: 2 metres long, 1 metre tall and weighing around 15kgs. Family: Dromaeosauridae. Diet: Carnivore. First fossils found: Known from several specimens, the first of which was discovered by Peter Kaisen in Mongolia's Gobi Desert in 1923. V. mongoliensis named by American palaeontologist, Henry Fairfield Osborne, in 1924. V. osmolskae named by Belgian palaeontologist, Pascal Godefroit, in 2008. Lived: 75 to 71 million years ago during the Campanian and Maastrichtian stages of the Late Cretaceous in what is now southern Mongolia.