Dinosaur Files
Dinosaurs!?
I have to do a research paper about a dinosaur, and I chose the Leptoceratops, but see, I have to mention how the scientists determined the dinosaur's life style. And I cannot finf ny article that says that. I have trid wikipedia, national geographic site, and just googled a bunch. So, please,if you know a good website or understand how scientist determine the matter, just post away! Thanks a ton!
Public Comments
- The dinosaurs probably were about the same size as sheep -- Leptoceratops is thought to have been about 6 to 8 feet in length, weighing between 100 and 150 pounds -- and most likely enjoyed the same plant-based diet. Sheep, like all mammals, have fleshy, muscular cheeks. Scientists who compared the animals to ornithischians operated under the assumption that these dinosaurs had the same muscular cheeks as sheep. here is a good pic http://www.ohiou.edu/news/pix/LEPTOCERATOPS_2.JPG. this was the best site I could find. information on Leptoceratop eating habits http://www.oucom.ohiou.edu/dbms- witmer/Downloads/PerspectivesPDF2001.pdf Here is another site Meaning - Leptoceratops means "slender horned face" Pronounced - LEP-to-SAYR-ah-tops Named By - Barnum Brown When Named - 1914 DIET: Herbivore (plant-eater) - it ate low-lying plants. SIZE: Length - 6.6 ft (2 m) long Height - 2.5 ft (0.75 m) tall at the hips Weight - 150 pounds (68 kg) WHEN IT LIVED: Late Cretaceous period, about 68-65 million years ago WHERE IT LIVED: Fossils have been found in Alberta, Canada, and Wyoming, USA, in North America. FOSSILS: It is known from 5 skulls and some skeletal material. CLASSIFICATION: Kingdom Animalia (animals) Phylum Chordata (having a hollow nerve chord ending in a brain) Class Archosauria (diapsids with socket-set teeth, etc.) Order Ornithischia - bird-hipped dinosaurs Family Ceratopsia (horned, frilled dinosaurs with beaks) Genus Leptoceratops Species gracilis (type species named by Brown, 1914 You sure did pick a difficult subject.
- well scientists use characteristics of their fossils and compare them to animals of today and assume that the dinosaurs used similar things for similar tasks like if a dinosaur has flat teeth like a horse one could speculate that that dinosaur ate grass etc. sorry i can be of better help.
- Well my friend you may be in trouble. Because I'm sorry to say "THAT DINOSAUR DOES NOT EXIST". What happened is fossils were found and the original finder named the dinosaur, but later on it has been proven that a Leptoceratops is actually a Montanoceratops. This commonly happens with dinosaur discoveries. I'd recommending asking to be able to choose another dinosaur and make sure that it is a better known dinosaur or unique enough to find information about. For example, if you chose Guanlong for your dinosaur than that's not a good choice becuase there was only partial remains found only once way back in like 1912. If you are allowed to change your dinosaur but don't want to pick one that is "Jurassic Park: famous, then there is many dinosaurs to choose from that do have amazing scientific studies and a lot of information. For example : Nigersaurus
