Tyrannosaurus and Torosaurus, Maestrichtian Dinosaurs From Trans-Pecos, Texas
Author
Lawson, Douglas A.
text
Journal of Paleontology
1976
1976-01-31
50
1
158
164
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.3675277
4b8bbb36-efbd-4337-8f66-124b5340ea74
3675277
Order Ornithischia
Suborder Ceratopsia
Family Ceratopsidae
Genus
Torosaurus
Marsh, 1891
Remarks.—
There are three shapes to the frills of ceratopsia with fenestrated parietals, 1) triangular, found in
Protoceratops
,
Chasmosaurus
,
and
Pentaceratops
,
2) figure-8, found in
Brachyceratops
,
Monoclonius
,
Styracosaurus
and presumably
Pachyrhinosaurus
,
3) broad frill with elliptical or circular fenestrae, found in
Anchiceratops
,
Arrhinoceratops
,
and
Torosaurus
.
Triceratops, except for a few “sports,” lacks fenestrae but is related to the last group. Considering the third group, in dorsal view
Anchiceratops
and
Arrhinoceratops
have rectangular frills with well developed epoccipitals.
Torosaurus
has a cardioid frill, has weakly developed epoccipitals, thinner parietals, and reduced vascular sulci. Since
Torosaurus
arose from an
Arrhinoceratops-
like form, a complete fossil record would show a gradation between forms and primitive torosaurs should be intermediate in character. Such a situation seems to exist in the case of
Torosaurus utahensis
.