Torosaurus and Triceratops

There has been a lot of speculation over whether Torosaurus and Triceratops are different kinds of herbivorous Ceratopsidae. Well, while a section of the paleontological fraternity believed that both are altogether different species of dinosaurs, recent research and paleontological investigations regarding the biology, structure and other aspects of these gigantic saurians reveal otherwise and the revelations are pretty startling! Now, before we raise the veil off this mystery, let's look at each of these two saurians a little closely in terms of structure, species, classification, feeding habits, etc.

Torosaurus Facts

Check out the following interesting facts about Torosaurus to get a closer look at this majestic prehistoric reptilian dweller of the earth.

• Torosauruses walked the earth about seventy million years ago in what was the latter part of the Cretaceous Period which lasted from around 145.5⁺_-4 till around 65.5⁺_-0.3 million years ago.
• Torosauruses measured approximately eight meters from muzzle to tail and they are believed to have weighed around five tons.
• The bony frill that encircled their skulls as a crest measured almost three meters from end to end.
• The name Torosaurus translates as perforated lizard due to the presence of two massive holes in the frills of their skull, one hole on each side of the frill.
• Torosauruses were quadrupeds that walked on all four legs.
• Despite their imposing appearance due to the presence of skeletal frills and a pair of horns (on their foreheads), Torosauruses were herbivores, feeding mostly on ferns, coniferous plants and deciduous cycads.
• Their mouths ended in strong, bony beak-like structures with a minimal protrusion.
• Torosaurus tops the Ceratopsia group of dinosaurs who were typically characterized by their horned, beak-like mouths.

Triceratops Facts

The following information on Triceratops origin and facts precisely sum up all features and characteristics typical to this category of frill-necked saurians.

• The history of Triceratops dinosaurs is similar to Torosaurus. Triceratops existed around the same time as Torosauruses, i.e., the latter part of the Cretaceous Period.
• Similar to Torosauruses, Triceratops were quadrupeds and walked on all four legs.
• Triceratops also had a large bony frill around their necks but these frills lacked the perforations present in the Torosauruses' skeletal frills.
• Along with the two horns on their foreheads, Triceratops had an additional horn over their muzzle which has striking similarity, in terms of structure and placement, to the facial horn of the modern-day rhinoceroses.
• Triceratops measured about eight meters from nose to tail and weighed approximately nine tons.
• Similar to Torosauruses, Triceratops were also herbivores, using their horned, beak-like feeding appendages to break off tough fibrous vegetable matter such as palms, ferns and cycads.

Skeletal remains and other dinosaur fossils of both Torosauruses and Triceratops have been found around and across North America.

Difference Between Torosaurus and Triceratops

The chief difference between these two dinosaurs is that of life cycle stage and not of kind or species. Now isn't that a startling discovery! Well, recent paleontological investigations have established once and for all that a Triceratops is nothing but a very young Torosaurus! This fact was given away by the structure of the characteristic skeletal frill that was present in both. Researchers, while conducting investigations on Triceratops and Torosauruses, discovered that the skulls of both these variants were composed of metaplastic bones. The chief distinguishing characteristic of metaplastic bones is that they have the ability to elongate and shorten over one's lifespan to form into new shapes.

On close scrutiny of Triceratops skeletal frills, it was noticed that there existed two areas on the frill where the bone mass was extremely thin. The placement of these thinned-down areas corresponded perfectly with the perforations found on Torosaurus skeletal frills. This shows that as the Triceratops grew up to become full-fledged Torosaurus, these thinning frill areas thinned further and became the two massive holes in the Torosaurus' frill. Paleontologists have concluded that these holes appeared on the frills to offset the weight of the growing frills so that the head of the saurian was not weighed down by the volume of its neck frill.

As I had said before, Torosaurus and Triceratops are not different types of dinosaur. The chief difference with regards to Torosaurus vs Triceratops is only in terms of what stage of growth they are in. In other words, back then, a Triceratops would grow into a Torosaurus if it did manage to survive various predators of their prehistoric habitats! As a joey grows up to be a kangaroo and a cub turns into a lion, a Triceratops grew up to become a Torosaurus by acquiring two perforations in its frill as sign that it has come of age.