You would expect that when a lot
of ceratopsian species lived side by side, they would evolve a bigger variation of ornaments than more solitary species.
Many general discussions
of ceratopsian ornaments in museum signage and popular literature often include examples of what they might have been for, but these tend to be rather speculative.
The researchers believe the implications extend beyond the scope
of ceratopsians and have consequences for the study of evolutionary theory over vast stretches of time.
Because Wendiceratops is more closely related to a different group
of ceratopsians than Triceratops — one that includes the recently discovered «Hellboy» dinosaur — the discovery suggests that the tall and high version of the nose horn evolved twice in the ceratopsian family.
Many paleontologists have maintained that the horns
of ceratopsians were rhinolike, and Witmer can now test that hypothesis.
Not exact matches
His study, published in the journal Cretaceous Research, highlights it as the first fossil from a
ceratopsian dinosaur identified from this period
of eastern North America.
Andrew Knapp, PhD candidate from the School
of Biological and Chemical Sciences and lead author
of the study, said: «This resolves a long - standing and hitherto untested hypothesis concerning the origin and function
of ornamental traits in
ceratopsian dinosaurs.
Triceratops, for example, belongs to a big group
of species called
ceratopsians, many
of which had frills and horns in a dizzying variety
of shapes and sizes.
But the scientists say that the most important trait is a tall horn on its nose, the earliest sighting
of this feature that characterized later
ceratopsians.
As the researchers report online today in PLOS ONE, the 6 - meter - long beast (artist's conception above) had the typical
ceratopsian features
of a frilly crown behind its head and probably had horns over its eyes.
Now, a team working in Canada's Alberta province, near the border with Montana, reports finding a 79 - million - year - old
ceratopsian they call Wendiceratops pinhornensis («Wendi» after the Alberta fossil hunter Wendy Sloboda, who discovered the site where the fossils were found, and «pinhornensis» after the name
of the site locality, the Pinhorn Provincial Grazing Reserve in Alberta).
The
ceratopsians, horned and frilled dinosaurs that include the famous Triceratops, were one
of the most successful and widespread dino groups, especially between about 90 million and 66 million years ago.
But Peter Dodson, a
ceratopsian expert at the University
of Pennsylvania, argues the proper pose is crook - legged, not necessarily in the «extreme push - ups» pose
of modern crocodiles, but certainly not in the straight pillar fashion
of modern rhinos either.
One major controversy with
ceratopsians (the family
of Triceratops and Protoceratops) is whether they stood on straight legs like rhinos or crouched crook - legged like crocodiles.
According to Dodson's reading
of bones, all straight - legged
ceratopsian reconstructions suffer from painful shoulder dislocations.
Universal Pictures have offered a very cool photo opportunity, recreating a small diorama
of the first promotional still from the film, bringing in a large
Ceratopsian skull for maximum wow factor!