Pentaceratops | Facts & Information
# Pentaceratops | Facts & Information
Pentaceratops | Discover Fascinating Facts and Information About Pentaceratops
The head of this animal was also protected by five horns, one shorter located above the nose and facing upwards, two larger located above the eyes and two smaller ones on the sides.
Pentaceratops
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Facts
The pentaceratops dinosaur had the most impressive capillary adornment of the horned dinosaur series, a bony shield covered with large barbs, which somewhat resembled the one that appeared in Triceratops, only that the number of barbs was much higher.
This ornament consisting of the shield with barbs and the five horns was truly spectacular and would have impressed and discouraged at first glance all the predatory dinosaurs, as well as the rivals with which they face to conquer the females.
By means of these sharp horns the Pentaceratops could severely injure the neck or abdomen of any dinosaur that caused it.
Fossil remains of this dinosaur were discovered in New Mesico (USA) and based on them, in 1923, paleontologist Henry Fairfied Osborn made a description of this species and named it Pentaceratops sternbergi.
The researchers estimated the length of the adult specimens to be about 7 m and the weight of 5 tons. The weight of the body and head was fairly easily balanced with the help of a thick and strong tail, held in a horizontal position.
The Shield on the back of the neck had slits covered with thick, scaly skin, which considerably diminished its weight. His huge and heavy body was supported by all four very strong limbs, finished with sturdy paws, with fingers with hoofed claws.
Obviously the gait of this dinosaur was quadruped, and the head was kept bent because of the enormous shield in the nape area. This caused the dinosaur not to have a good view of the surroundings, but if it was attacked by surprise it was able to defend itself with the help of its tail and large, strong and sharp horns.
The barbs on the edge of the shield would also have caused very serious injuries to any dinosaur that dared to attack a Pentaceratops in the neck area. On several fossilized shields of Pentaceratops that were discovered in time, researchers observed relatively small diameter holes caused by horns probably during battles between members of the same species, for the conquest of females or for supremacy in the herd.
Food Pentaceratops
These dinosaurs lived in herds, migrated over long distances of hundreds of kilometers in lowland areas with forests and fed on plants at ground level.
The snout ended with a powerful beak with the help of which they broke clumps of plants, and with their teeth they chewed the vegetation harder.
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