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Psittacosaurus means the "parrot-lizard" in reference to the shape of its beak. Although they don't look much alike, Psittacosaurus was an ancestor of the four-footed horned dinosaurs such as Triceratops. Paleontologists determined this by discovering that Psittacosaurus possessed a special bone called the rostral, found elsewhere only in the horned dinosaurs. Psittacosaurus lived 110 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous, while Triceratops was abundant in the Late Cretaceous, 75 million years ago.
Psittacosaurus means the "parrot-lizard" in reference to the shape of its beak. Although they don't look much alike, Psittacosaurus was an ancestor of the four-footed horned dinosaurs such as Triceratops. Paleontologists determined this by discovering that Psittacosaurus possessed a special bone called the rostral, found elsewhere only in the horned dinosaurs. Psittacosaurus lived 110 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous, while Triceratops was abundant in the Late Cretaceous, 75 million years ago.
"...This remarkable specimen is called a 'mummy' because it also left impressions of skin and other soft tissue in the surrounding rock. It is mounted as it was found, lying on it's back with the knees drawn up. The head and neck twisted backward as the tendons dried out..."
The delegation reviews pottery and stone implements collected from the Zuni region.
(c) AMNH/C. Chesek
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