Triceratops were three-horned dinosaurs that could be spotted from a distance of one mile. Its body shape bears some resemblance to that of a rhinoceros. It had a giant ruffle, 30 feet long and weighed around 5 tons. The horns of the triceratops were mostly used for defensive purposes. According to naturalists, dinosaurs lived during the late Cretaceous period. They could run at a speed of 35 miles per hour which was very fast compared to other dinosaurs. The following are key facts about this dinosaur.
He had two horns, not three
“Triceratops” means three-horned face. However, the facts show that the triceratops had only two original horns. The other “horn” was shorter, weaker and made of keratin – a soft protein. Speculations say that diceratopi is a juvenile growth phase of the triceratops dinosaur.
One third of the entire body length of the triceratops was occupied by his head
A distinct feature of this creature was the large size of its skull. The large size of his head made him so huge that he could easily be seen from a distance. The triceratops had one of the largest skulls among land animals. He also possessed a ruffle that opposed backwards. The ruffle was able to reach a length greater than 7 feet. The only dinosaurs with larger skulls than the triceratops were the centrosaurus and the styracosaurus. The two dinosaurs used the crag for sexual selection.
The tyrannosaur plundered the triceratops
Tyrannosaurus shared the same ecosystem as the triceratops and lived during the same period of time. Both of these dinosaurs existed more than 60 million years ago. The tyrannosaurus could risk hunting the triceratops that had sharp horns. It is a mystery how it was possible to preach the triceratops given its enormous size and its sharp horns.
He had a beak as hard as a parrot
The triceratops was a herbivore. Many people do not know that the triceratops had the beaks they used to feed on hard vegetation such as ginkgo, cycads and conifers. Even the triceratops had very strong teeth embedded in their jaws. The teeth were numerous and formed “batteries” in such a way that those that were consumed due to frequent use were replaced by an adjacent battery. The replacement of triceratops teeth has continued throughout his life.
His ancestors were as small as a domestic cat
There has been an evolution that occurred more during the Cretaceous period. Evolution has led some species of triceratops to grow in livestock size when they reached North America. Their large size was incomparable for some of their distant ancestors found in East Asia that seemed small. It is said that some members of the frill and horn families would have been smaller than the evidence showed.
The ruffle was used for communication purposes
Similar to many other dinosaurs, the triceratops used their curl for sexual selection. At the same time, they could use it to warn other members of their herd of an imminent danger. For example, they would alert other members of an approaching predator’s pack.
