Triceratops 'Never Existed' -- Three-horned fossils are actually juvenile torosauruses

Newser ^ | August 3, 2010 | Rob Quinn

[SunkenCiv]

One of the best-known dinosaur species may not have really been a dinosaur species at all, according to new research. Scientists compared triceratops skulls to those of a lesser-known species, the torosaurus, and concluded that the triceratops were actually young torosauruses, New Scientist reports. They believe the three-horned dinosaur's skull changed shape as it aged.

Researchers say the bones of the horns and neck frill in the young dinosaurs remained spongy until they became full adults. "Even in the most mature specimens that we've examined, there is evidence that the skull was still undergoing dramatic changes at the time of death," one of the researchers says. Torosaurus and triceratops will now likely be reclassified as a single species -- but don't shed a tear just yet: The name "triceratops" will be the one that stays, the scientists say.

[Rocky]

Jeez, you start right off by insulting your readers. And then you expect adult responses?

To joke or not to joke, that is the question. You’ve left us on the horns of a dilemma.

[null and void]

Do you want to think that one through again?

[william clark]

Torosaurus? Sounds like bull.

[ari-freedom]

One thing is for sure. Santaclausosaurus is DEFINITELY real.

[TigersEye]

Don’t you know there are *colorful plastic figures* of Triceratops?

I still have mine. It's gray not colorful but don't tell me it's not real. It's real!

[ari-freedom]

“Next they’ll say there was no such thing as a brontosaurus! “

You mean Apatosaurus...(runs)

[Ramius]

There is no way I am telling my nephew that his favourite dinosaur never existed...

Mine too!! As a kid... I always thought Triceratops was the coolest.

The headline really needs to be the other way around: Torosaurus has been mistaken as a separate species, when it may just be a mature Triceratops.

[ApplegateRanch]

Individual Triceratops are estimated to have reached about 7.9 to 9.0 m (26.0–29.5 ft) in length, 2.9 to 3.0 m (9.5–9.8 ft) in height,[8][9] and 6.1–12.0 tonnes (13,000–26,000 lb) in weight.[10] The most distinctive feature is their large skull, among the largest of all land animals. It could grow to be over 2 m (7 ft) in length,[6] and could reach almost a third of the length of the entire animal.[5]

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The frilled skull reached 2.6 meters (8.5 ft) in length. From head to tail, Torosaurus is thought to have measured about 7.6 meters (25 ft) long and weighed 4 to 6 tonnes (4.4 to 6.6 tons).

That is a LOT of baby fat!

[The Comedian]

Next you're going to tell me that Pluto isn't a planet, or that Barry isn't a natural born citizen.

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[GeronL]

Tricera’s are bigger than Toro’s???

eh??

Someone got some splaining to do!

[Dryman]

I feel the same way!

[6SJ7]

Hey moderator, close the thread already!

You mean make it extinct!?

[ApplegateRanch]

Yes. I can hear them now.

“Not unusual; my Granny shrank quite a bit when she got old....”

[GeronL]

Torosteoporosisaurus?

[ApplegateRanch]

LOL!!!!!!!

[swatbuznik]

NOOOOOOOooooooOOOOOO!!

Wait, what? Still calling the triceratops. What’s the big deal? Never mind....

[hellbender]

Nonsense. Georo-Soros was a quisling as a juvenile, not a Triceratops.

[stormer]

[grey_whiskers]

Cheers!

[TChad]

Looks a lot like a triceratops to me...

It IS a triceratops. Or at least it will be when they stop screwing around with the description.

Torosaurus and triceratops will now likely be reclassified as a single species—but don't shed a tear just yet: The name "triceratops" will be the one that stays, the scientists say.

So the title should have been, "Amazing Triceratops grew huge collar as adult!"

No damn paleontologist is going to take away our triceratops.