Triceratops
The Triceratops was a three-horned dinosaur that roamed the Earth during the Cretaceous Period of the Mesozoic Era about 70 million years ago. The name means "three-horned face" and was adopted for obvious reasons.
The two horns extending from the brows were longer than the single horn from the nose. The horns may have had three different functions. The most obvious was for defense. Next it may have been used in territorial or mating disputes with other Triceratops. Finally, it could have been used as a way to distinguish between male and female.
The Triceratops also had a frill which was a wide, shield-like projection of the skull. It complemented the horns by adding to the defensive and display capabilities of the animal. It had bony studs around the edges and was itself solid bone beneath a layer of skin. The frill also acted as an anchor for the tendons and muscles that were attached to the jaw. The extended jaw-muscles gained considerable leverage from this connection and could exhibit crushing power.
The arms of the Triceratops were shorter than its legs. He walked on all four appendages, probably grazing on low plants in herds across the pre-historic plains. The front of the mouth was shaped like a beak, without teeth. Nevertheless, there were teeth in the jaws behind the beak that helped to grind up food before it was swallowed.
The Triceratops got to be about twice the size of a modern day rhinoceros, reaching lengths up to 30 feet and weighing up to 11 tons. Its fossils have been found in western North America
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W.J. Rayment
Interesting Link: Triceratops Woodkit
