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Dinosaurs » A-Z Dinosaurs List » Styracosaurus Dinosaur |
| Styracosaurus |
Styracosaurus (“spiked reptile") was an herbivorous dinosaur
from the Cretaceous period. It had six long horns extending from its neck
frill, a smaller horn above each of its eyes, and a single horn protruding
from its nose at 60 centimeters (2 feet) long and 15 centimeters (6 inches)
wide. It was a huge dinosaur, reaching lengths of 5 meters (18 feet) and
weighing as much as 3 tons. It stood about 1.8 meters (6 feet) tall. |
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| The first fossil remains of Styracosaurus were discovered in Alberta,
Canada in 1913, in an area now known as the Dinosaur Provincial Park.
The Styracosaurus possessed four short legs and a bulky body, and was
almost surely able to achieve speeds of up to 32 kilometers per hour (20
miles per hour). Its tail was rather short. It also had a beak and cheek
teeth, representative that its diet was herbivorous and composed mostly
of cycads, palms, and other prehistoric plants.
Like other ceratopsians, this dinosaur was most probable a herd animal,
traveling in large groups and caring for its young after they hatched.
Further proof of this exists in the discovery of a bonebed in Arizona,
USA with about 100 Styracosaurus fossils.
According to its Encephalization Quotient (brain to body weight ratio),
the Styracosaurus was of middle intelligence.
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