Episode 164 is all about Nasutoceratops, a centrosaurine ceratopsian whose name means “large nosed horned face.”

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In this episode, we discuss:

News:

The dinosaur of the day: Nasutoceratops

Basal centrosaurine ceratopsian that lived in the Cretaceous in what is now southern Utah, U.S. Name means “large-nosed horned face” Found in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Holotype found in 2006 during the Kaiparowits Basin Project Named and described in 2010 by Eric Karl Lund as part of his thesis, who named it Nasutuceratops titusi, but it was an invalid nomen ex dissertatione. In 2013 Andrew Farke and Katherine Clayton named it the valid way, and changed the name Nasutoceratops Only one species: Nasutoceratops titusi The species name is in honor of Alan Titus, Monument Paleontologist at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, for his years of research collaboration Nasutoceratops and Diabloceratops are the only centrosaurines found in southwest US (so far) Centrosaurines may not have been as common in the southwest of the US (then Laramidia) possibly because of geological barriers Large, quadrupedal herbivore About 14.8 ft (4.5 m long and weighed 2.5 tonnes May have been slow, and lived in herds for protection Some skin impressions were found, and they have a pattern of large hexagonal scales with smaller triangular scales Skull was about 4.9 ft (1.5 m) long Had a short snout and rounded horns above its eyes (somewhat similar to modern cattle, according to Dr. David Hone) Horns were kind of bull like, where they point forwards and outwards, curve inwards, and then point upwards Horns reached to almost the tip of its snout (longest horns of all centrosaurines, so far) Brow horns were about 40% the total length of the skull Also had cheek horns that were about 3.3 in (85 mm) long, largest known of centrosaurines Horns may have been used for display, to signal dominance, and to fight rivals, as well as for defense Had a low, narrow horn on its nose/snout (which was large) Large snout probably didn’t help it with its sense of smell, since the olfactory receptors are further back in the head Had pneumatic elements (holes) in its nasal bones, which is unique Had a circular skull frill Had osteoderms on the edge of the frill that were shaped like crescents The area where Nasutoceratops lived was an ancient floodplain with lots of swamps, ponds, and lakes. It was wet and humid with lots of life Other dinosaurs that lived at the same time and place include dromaeosaurids, the troodontid Talos, the ornithomimid Ornithomimus, tyrannosaurids Albertosaurus and Teratophoneus, ankylosaurids, hadrosaurs such as Parasaurolophus and Gryposaurus, and other ceratopsians Utahceratops and Kosmoceratops Other animals included sharks and rays, frogs, salamanders, turtles, lizards, crocodilians, and early mammals Can see Nasutoceratops skull at the Natural History Museum of Utah



Fun Fact:

Fossilization is not selected just by decay-resistance.

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This episode is brought to you in part by TRX Dinosaurs, which makes beautiful and realistic dinosaur sculptures, puppets, and exhibits. You can see some amazing examples and works in progress on Instagram @trxdinosaurs.