Torasaurus a New Type of Dinosaur

I always wondered what it would be like to live with dinosaurs. As big as they were, the sight of them would be breathtaking. They would be able to stomp so hard, it would make the earth beneath me shake. I would start to wonder if everyday would feel like an earthquake. I've never met an elephant up close, but many seem to relate dinosaurs to large elephants because of their size. Elephants can reach up to 10-13 feet, that's like twice my size! 10 feet is also the height of a basketball hoop, that really puts things into perspective. I'm pretty sure elephants don't make the earth shake terribly, it's been exaggerated in movies and films to make the animal seem big and heavy. It is said that elephants are able to step quietly when trying to be sneaky. Makes you wonder if dinosaurs were actually quieter while walking.

The Triceratops is an elephant sized dinosaur, alive during the late Cretaceous period. This dinosaur reached about 10 feet and about 30 feet in length weighing anywhere between 11,000 lbs to 15,750 lbs. These creatures were huge, with their massive skull making up 10 feet by itself! Not only were their frills used for defense against fighting, but it was most likely also used for mating, courtship, identification, and dominance. Tri, meaning three in Latin, is in reference to the three horns on their head, two above the brows and one on the nose. The name Triceratops means three (tri) horned (kéras) face (ops). These herbivores had rounded beaks that resembled parrot beaks. Unlike parrots, the Triceratops housed about 800 teeth that seemed to constantly regenerate. The thought of having that many teeth in an animal is pure nightmare fuel, but it's said the teeth helped grind their food. They possibly ate shrubs and other plants, using their horns and frills to knock down trees.

It is believed that Triceratops drastically changed between life stages, making the Nedoceratops and Torosaurus all part of the same species. Though it can’t be confirmed, researchers believe that Torosaurus was the older more mature version of a Triceratops while the Nedoceratops was a younger version. The difference between these three is that the Triceratops does not have hollow holes in its frill like the others, but further research has found the beginnings of holes being formed on a couple Triceratops skeletons. It's also believed that the Nedoceratops may have had holes in their frill due to diseases, as opposed to being natural. The Torosaurus also had a more ruffled edge on its frill and a much larger skull overall with large holes in its frill. Triceratops, once thought to be a solo species, has now been found in groups, indicating that it was a species that traveled in herds and may have been migratory. The first Triceratops remains were found near Denver, Colorado in 1887. Some of the most complete remains of Triceratops were found in Wyoming, making it the state dinosaur. The Triceratops was also among the first dinosaur remains to be found in Wyoming. The Natives in this region seem to have been familiar with dinosaur fossils, archaeological finds have found the fossils lining a fire pit. 

The Triceratops, specifically the Torosaurus, is the reference I used for my character Tora. Toro meaning bull, I switched the o for an a when deciding her name. Tora also means tiger in Japanese and in Hindi. At this point in time, I'm not sure how I'm going to put dinosaurs into my story, but my main reason for my artistic inspiration is the things I like. And I like dinosaurs, just because they are fascinating to learn about. I don’t think we'll ever reach a point to know the whole picture, but knowing they did exist is cool.

References:

1. “Torosaurus.” Wikipedia, 9 May 2024,  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/torosaurus. Accessed 29 July 2024.

2. “Triceratops: Facts about the three horned dinosaur.” Joseph Castro, 5 April 2024, https:www.livescience.com/24011-triceratops-facts.html. Accessed 29 July 2024.

3. “Is Triceratops One or Three Species? Debate Continues.” Jennifer Welish, 14 December 2011, https:www.livescience.com/17488-triceratops-species-development.html. Accessed 29 July 2024.

4. “Paleontology in Montana.” Wikipedia 27 June 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleontology_in_Montana. Accessed 29 July 2024.

“Triceratops.” Staff, 30 March 2022, https://www.extinctanimals.org/triceratops.htm. Accessed 29 July 2024

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