Episode 114 is all about Achelousaurus, a ceratopsid with bosses that make it look like it had its horns ripped off.

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In this episode, we discuss:

• The dinosaur of the day: Achelousaurus
• Name means “Achelous’s lizard”
• A centrosaurine ceratopsid that lived in the late Cretaceous in North America
• Found in the Two Medicine Formation in Montana
• Type species is Achelousaurus horneri
• Named by Scott Sampson in 1995
• Name Achelousaurus refers to Achelous, a Greek river deity, who fought Hercules. Hercules tore off one of his horns
• Three skulls have been found, and they all have rough bosses where other ceratopsians have horns, which makes it look like their horns were ripped off
• Achelous could also shapeshift, and Achelosaurus has combined features from other ceratopsians
• Species name is in honor of Jack Horner, who led the team that excavated the holotype skull of Achelousaurus in 1987
• About 20 ft (6 m) long and weighed 3 tons
• Had a parrot-like beak, and rough bosses on its snout, and a pair of horns on the end of long bony frills
• May be a transitional ceratopsian, since it has two horns at the top of its neck frill, like Einiosaurus, and a large nasal boss, like Pachyrhinosaurus (not everyone agrees though)
• All fossils are at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana, including a skull from an adult (which is 5 ft (1.6 m) long
• Ceratopsians were ornithiscians
• Lived in North America and Asia
• They had beaks and cheek teeth to eat fiberous vegetation
• Also had a frill (used for defense, regulating body temperature, attracting mates, or signaling danger)
• Probably traveled in herds and could then stampede if threatened
• Fun fact: Contractors excavating for the Rockie’s new baseball stadium in Colorado found part of a Triceratops skull. Eventually this led to the mascot “dinger” being a purple Triceratops.

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