Torosaurus is not Triceratops, Yale researchers say

A year-long study by Yale University paleontologists concludes that two related horned dinosaurs are different animals and not adult and juvenile versions of the same. "We're saying, 'No, they're different,'" said Nicholas R. Longrich, a postdoctoral fellow in Yale's Department of Geology and Geophysics and the lead author of the study. "They're separate animals." The paper, which appears in the Feb. 29 issue of the journal PLoS ONE, argues in favor of greater diversity among dinosaurs. It specifically refutes the idea that Torosaurus is merely the adult form of Triceratops - the same creature at a different stage of life. Available evidence suggests that this cannot be the case, according to Longrich and Yale graduate student Daniel J. Field. Most significant are the existence of physically mature (adult) specimens of Triceratops and relatively immature (juvenile) specimens of Torosaurus.
account creation

TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT

And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.

Register


Login

Your Benefits

  • Access to all content
  • Receive newsmails for news and jobs
  • Post ads

myScience