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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