Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Triceratops meet Mercuiceratops!

A new dinosaur has been unearthed, seems to be a relative of the bad-boy of the herbivore kingdom triceratops! A few tons and 20 feet long the mercuiceratops. He stomped about in the late cretaceous period, about 77 million years ago. This fellow has a curious boney protrusion that vaguely resemble wings (though not bird wings for sure). They were herbivores, probably feeding on thick, lush bush leaves and what nots.

They theorize that the boney protrusions were probably to attract mates. I doubt it, that wing like device is pretty, but it looks pretty tough. Maybe, or maybe they were used in battle. Animals, all animals, tend to raise a ruckus and they have adaptations to keep them alive, fit and in control of the food source. That's the whole point of many of these adaptions...food acquisition. Of course mating is a huge part of it too, but as I said, those horns look more than ceremonial.

No comments:

Plywood Memories from Gencon to Vegas

  Out trip to Gencon took us up through the Arkansas Delta country, and into the boot of Missouri, across the Big Muddy and on into the spra...