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The Big Dinosaur Podcast

The Big Dinosaur Podcast

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Pentaceratops Aquilonius: The Northern One

The days are getting shorter, but that does not bother Pentaceratops aquilonius. Years ago, Pentaceratops aquilonius’ family had moved up north, in hopes of finding more vegetation. Food was hard to share, especially among the chasmosaurs, who were not afraid to use their horns to fight for fresh plants.

Pentaceratops aquilonius was small for a horned dinosaur, only about the size of a buffalo. However, Pentaceratops aquilonius did have five horns on its face, which often gave it an advantage.

On this late autumn night, Pentaceratops aquilonius does not have to worry about how to get its dinner. It wanders just far enough away from its herd so that it can still hear any warning calls, but still eat in peace. Even when there is plenty of food around, it seems Pentaceratops aquilonius and its family cannot get enough.

Pentaceratops aquilonius bites off a mouthful of leaves with its sharp beak and chews, content. Needles are nestled within the leaves, but they don’t bother Pentaceratops aquilonius. The crunching sounds of its cheek teeth are soothing, and Pentaceratops aquilonius relaxes.

But the wonder of solitude does not last long. Pentaceratops aquilonius hears a different kind of crunching sound, the kind of sound hooves stepping on leaves make. Annoyed, Pentaceratops aquilonius turns to see its brother.

The brother faces Pentaceratops aquilonius and thrusts its head up, showing off its five horns. It’s a sign of defiance, and Pentaceratops aquilonius knows it will now have to defend its meal.

Even with so much vegetation around, Pentaceratops aquilonius brother is jealous of the tasty morsels Pentaceratops aquilonius has found for itself. Pentaceratops aquilonius swallows its food and then gets ready to battle.

It scratches its hooves in the dirt and waits. Pentaceratops aquilonius brother charges, letting out a large bellow in an attempt to sound scarier.

The tactic doesn’t work. Pentaceratops aquilonius steps to the side, avoiding its brother’s sharp horns. This puts Pentaceratops aquilonius brother off balance, and he stumbles, briefly. But his error is enough for Pentaceratops aquilonius to hit his side with one of its horns.

Pentaceratops aquilonius brother whimpers in pain, and slinks away. Some blood drips from the wound, but it is a surface scratch and will heal.

A few others in the herd step closer to see what the fuss is all about, but when they see the blood and one of their own limping away, the other looking big and proud, they understand the situation. They move on.

Pentaceratops aquilonius lets out a grunt, for good measure, and then turns its attention back to its dinner. But with its adrenaline running high, the plants no longer look as enticing.

Pentaceratops aquilonius decides its time to move on to another spot to eat. It takes a quick look around, but none of the nearby ferns strike its fancy. It decides the better options must be elsewhere, where other members of the herd are eating.

Pentaceratops aquilonius makes its way towards another member of the herd, which is happily chewing on some fresh leaves.

Facts about Pentaceratops Aquilonius:

  • Pentaceratops aquilonius lived about 75 million years ago
  • Dr. Nick Longrich discovered Pentaceratops aquilonius in 2014, after its fossils had been gathering dust at a Canadian museum for more than 75 years
  • Pentaceratops aquilonius was like a primitive version of Pentaceratops sternbergii
  • Pentaceratops aquilonius belongs to the chasmosaur family, but was small for its kind (size of a buffalo, smaller compared to its cousin Triceratops)
  • Pentaceratops aquilonius had five horns on its face and a different shaped frill

Find out more in the I Know Dino podcast, episode 15, “Pentaceratops.”

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Aquilops: Eagle Face Dinosaur

From high overhead, no one can see the tiny dinosaur perusing the plants on the ground. Weighing only 3.5 pounds and 24 inches long, Aquilops, one of the smallest dinosaurs, uses its beak to snip off plants with its hook-like beak.

But none of the ferns or saplings nearby are of interest. Aquilops doesn’t mind foraging. It has just spent the last few months with its herd walking across the Beiring Strait from its home in Asia to find a new area to settle in North America.

The journey had been long and daunting, and not everyone made it. But Aquilops never gave up hope, and the thought of new, tasty foods keeps it going. So it doesn’t mind walking a little further in search for vegetation.

Aquilops walks on two legs, its long tail helping to keeps its balance. On two legs, it can move faster, and though Aquilops hasn’t quite found the perfect meal yet, it is getting hungry.

Deciding to change course, Aquilops bends down, using the prong on its rostral bone to dig for food. At first, nothing good comes up. Then Aquilops’ prong hits a root. Curious, Aquilops cuts off a piece with its beak and tastes it.

The root has a sweet taste, and hits the spot. Aquilops digs to find more, grunting with pleasure.

Soon other Aquilops join the little dinosaur. But Aquilops is not willing to share with its herd. It stops digging and moves to cover the spot in the ground where it found the tasty root. It grunts, this time as a warning.

Most of the others back away, not willing to fight over an unknown plant. But one stays behind. It shuffles its feet, ready to attack.

Aquilops gets angry. It found the food first; it should not have to share. It lowers its head, preparing to strike with its prong.

After a few moments, the two dinosaurs run at each other. They hit one another with their prongs.

Aquilops feels the sting of the first blow, but that only fuels its anger. It moves backwards a couple steps only to run forward again, this time with greater momentum.

The other Aquilops is ready and braces itself for the impact. But Aquilops has much more force than it anticipated, and this time part of the second Aquilops’ breaks. The pain is so intense, the second Aquilops cries out and quickly shuffles away.

Proud, Aquilops returns triumphantly to its meal. It digs into the roots without any hesitation, savoring every bite. The months of walking and struggling were worth it, for this meal. This new land will give Aquilops a lot of opportunities, and it looks forward to digging up other new plants.

Though Aquilops is a juvenile, it will not grow much bigger, but it will lay the groundwork for its bigger descendants. 40 million years into the future, Triceratops, one of the most famous ceratopsians, will walk through the same area. Unlike Aquilops, Triceratops will have horns and a neck frill. And it will be 4,000 times bigger.

Facts about Aquilops:

  • The name Aquilops means “eagle face”
  • Aquilops was the size of a raven, with the mass of a bunny (3.5 pounds, 24 inches long)
  • Aquilops is an early horned dinosaur, despite not having horns or a neck frill
  • It lived 40 million years before Triceratops, which was 4,000 times its size
  • Aquilops came from Asia, probably crossing the Beiring Strait; it is more closely related to Asian dinosaurs than North American ones
  • Aquilops had a hook like beak, and a prong on its rostral bone (may have been from fighting or digging)
  • It walked on two legs, had a long tail, and snipped off ferns and saplings with its beak

Find out more in the I Know Dino podcast, episode 13, “Aquilops.”

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