Tsintaosaurus
Tsintaosaurus spinorhinus
Pronounced: ching - Dow - o -Saw-rus
Diet: Herbivore (plant eater)
Name Means: "Qingdao Lizard"
Length: 33 feet (10 m)
Height: 13 feet (4 m)
Weight: 3 tons (2,700 kilos)
Time: Late Cretaceous - 80 MYA
Fossil
remains
for this
Dinosaur
have
been
found in
Asia
This strange duckbill is sometimes called the Unicorn
Dinosaur because it had a long horn in the middle of its
forehead! It was such a strange looking creature that for years
some scientists thought that the horn was a mistake until
another of these plant-eating duckbills was found with the same
feature. Like other duck-billed dinosaurs, Tsintaosaurus had
hundreds of teeth packed closely together to form what is called
a dental battery. These were used to grind tough plant fiber
into mushy pulp.
Tsintaosaurus has caused no small amount of debate among scientists, partly due to the poor preservation of its skull. The exact position and function of its 'horn' are far from being agreed upon, despite the discovery of two partial skulls and remains of at least four individuals. |
