Name:
Torosaurus (Greek for "pierced lizard"); pronounced TORE-oh-SORE-us
Habitat:
Woodlands of western North America
Historical Period:
Late Cretaceous (70 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 25 feet long and 4 tons
Diet:
Plants
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Enormous frill; two long horns over eyes
About Torosaurus:
From its name, you might think Torosaurus was named after a bull ("toro" in Spanish), but the truth is a bit less exciting. The "toro" in this case means "perforated" or "pierced," referring to the large holes in this dinosaur's skull below its enormous frill. On the other hand, since the paleontologist who discovered Torosaurus (Othniel C. Marsh) never explained his reasoning, it's possible that "pierced" refers to any predators that ventured too close to this herbivore's pointy horns!
Names aside, Torosaurus was a typical ceratopsian--the family of horned, frilled, rhino-sized dinosaurs that populated the North American continent during the late Cretaceous period.
