[D] Torosaurus latus [Su] [sG] [T]
Describer
Marsh , 1891
Time
Cretaceous Late Maastrichtian
Classification
Ornithischia Genasauria Cerapoda Marginocephalia Ceratopia Neoceratopia Ceratopidae Chasmosaurinae
Diet
Herbivore
Fossilsite
Lance Formation, Wyoming; Hell Creek Formation, Montana, South Dakota; Laramie Formation, Colorado; North Horn Formation, Utah; Kirtland Formation, New Mexico; Javelina Formation, Texas, US ; Frenchman Formation, Saskatchewan, Canada
Info
Genus - Typespecies - Skull
Torosaurus latus (Marsh , 1891) > Torosaurus gladius (Marsh, 1891) > Torosaurus utahensis (Gilmore, 1946) >> Arrhinoceratops utahensis (Gilmore, 1946)
5 partial skulls, isolated skull elements.
The largest of the long-frilled ceratopians, at least judged from its skull which is the only part of the animal known. The frill was longer than the skull itself. One specimen of Torosaurus has a skull that is 8.5 ft (2.6m) long: this is on of the biggists head of known land animal.
The inner surface of parts of the frill in this specimen of Torosaurus has proved to be of some interest because it reveals signs of a bone disease. This frill was examined in the 1930s by Dr Roy L Moodie , a noted expert on bony disorders. The bone had a series of irregular holes and dimples in its surface. Dr. Moodie\\\\\\\'s comments were rather surprising, because he showed that these lesions were identical to some found in the skeletons of prehistoric Indians. He diagnosed this disease as Multiple Myeloma, or perhaps the dinosaur equivalent of this disease. The pockmarking having been caused by the growth of small cancerous tumours whitin the bone.
Marsh , 1891
Time
Cretaceous Late Maastrichtian
Classification
Ornithischia Genasauria Cerapoda Marginocephalia Ceratopia Neoceratopia Ceratopidae Chasmosaurinae
Diet
Herbivore
Fossilsite
Lance Formation, Wyoming; Hell Creek Formation, Montana, South Dakota; Laramie Formation, Colorado; North Horn Formation, Utah; Kirtland Formation, New Mexico; Javelina Formation, Texas, US ; Frenchman Formation, Saskatchewan, Canada
Info
Genus - Typespecies - Skull
Torosaurus latus (Marsh , 1891) > Torosaurus gladius (Marsh, 1891) > Torosaurus utahensis (Gilmore, 1946) >> Arrhinoceratops utahensis (Gilmore, 1946)
5 partial skulls, isolated skull elements.
The largest of the long-frilled ceratopians, at least judged from its skull which is the only part of the animal known. The frill was longer than the skull itself. One specimen of Torosaurus has a skull that is 8.5 ft (2.6m) long: this is on of the biggists head of known land animal.
The inner surface of parts of the frill in this specimen of Torosaurus has proved to be of some interest because it reveals signs of a bone disease. This frill was examined in the 1930s by Dr Roy L Moodie , a noted expert on bony disorders. The bone had a series of irregular holes and dimples in its surface. Dr. Moodie\\\\\\\'s comments were rather surprising, because he showed that these lesions were identical to some found in the skeletons of prehistoric Indians. He diagnosed this disease as Multiple Myeloma, or perhaps the dinosaur equivalent of this disease. The pockmarking having been caused by the growth of small cancerous tumours whitin the bone.