new-species-of-horned-dinosaur-has-been-discovered/

Scientists are reporting that they have discovered a new species of horned dinosaur from fossils found in both the state of Montana in the U.S. and Alberta, Canada. The enormous creature which has been named Mercuriceratops gemini, was believed to have been about 20 feet long and weighed around two tons. The dinosaur was thought to have lived around 76 million years ago during the Cretaceous period.
The animal appeared to have a winged like shaped head with a parrot type of beak. It is also thought that the creature had two long horns located just about its eyes and belonged to an assemblage of dinosaurs who ate plants.
Lead research study author Michael Ryan, who is also a curator of vertebrate paleontology at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, explained that Mercuriceratops went on an exclusive evolutionary path which helped shape the huge addition on the back of its skull into distended wings, kind of like embellished fins on classic cars. These animals would have most definitively stood out from the rest of the herd.
The North American horned dinosaur used its long skull embellishment to spot another of its kind and attract a mate. It also helped protect itself from predators. The winged extensions on the sides of its head might have given the male Mercuriceratops a competitive edge in drawing a mate, stated Ryan.
The neck guard of Mercuriceratops was what ended up making it such a rare species. It is believed that the development of Mercuriceratops was what caused the larger variation in horned dinosaur crowning than was formerly believed, described research study co-author

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