Dinosaurs, pterosaurs & marine reptiles of Isla Sorna

Tix Mascot , LadyPorthos , well done for correctly guessing the answer to this week's quiz question. You were asked: How did Triceratops grow its brow horns? From their bases or from their tips?


Answer: From their bases. Until recently, we only had skulls from adult Triceratops, however, over the past three years, a number of skulls belonging to juveniles have been discovered in the Hell Creek Formation of eastern Montana, and the horns on these specimens provide clues about how the small bony stubs above each eye on the young animals transformed into the slightly S-shaped, 3-foot-long horns in adults. Even newborns had tiny forward-pointing horns. Juveniles had short, thick horns that curved upward and slightly back. In adults, the brow horns are thick and curve forward at their base, but they retain an upward curve at their tips. This growth pattern suggests the horns grew from their bases. The horn on the snout started as a separate bone that later fused to the skull. One-third of each brow horn was hollow, rendering them susceptible to damage if they were used for defense (if broken, the horns didn't grow back). Therefore, it's more likely their primary functions were species recognition and sexual display.

Thanks!

I worked on a farm during the summer of 1977. If I remember correctly, the farmer once told me that cows and bulls also grow their horns from the base, so this is probably where I got the idea from.

I guess 90%

80%

Looks like a huge duck.

Looks scary for a herbivore.