It measured five meters long, had a huge nose and sported a spectacular antlers. Such was the stunning ‘Nasutoceratops titusi’ (meaning ‘horned face big nose’) , the new dinosaur triceratops family that found in the Utah desert.
The finding has surprised its discoverers, who had never seen a specimen with these traits. “This dinosaur completely impressed. Never imagined it would be like, we have found an animal with such unusual characteristics for this group of dinosaurs “, explained Dr. Mark Loewen, a paleontologist at the University of Utah and the Natural History Museum of Utah, told the BBC.
The dinosaur was discovered in 2006, but it has taken several years to study the fossil in detail. From this detailed analysis, just published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B ‘, it is estimated that the remains date back some 76 million years about, indicating that lived in Earth during the Cretaceous period.
Mine
fossil
“The horns of ‘Nasutoceratops titusi’ are the largest among the group of triceratops, with difference. They bend forward and sideways . would also be the dinosaur of the group with larger nose, “said Dr. Loewen.
herbivore specimen
2.5 tons was found in an area that was part of a continent called Laramidia in the territory of modern North America, an area that has become a mine for find dinosaur fossils in recent years.
‘Nasutoceratops’ not found alone, but also found traces of other horned dinosaurs, carnivorous, indicating that lived together in the same ecosystem .
EricLaund, researcher and discoverer of the new species believes that “the ‘Nasutoceratops’ is a wonderful example of how much we have to learn from the world of dinosaurs. remain many exciting fossils by discover in this desert of Utah “.
impressive new dinosaur skull will be exhibited permanently in the Natural History Museum of Utah.
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