Protoceratops

see also: Etymology of Protoceratops

The Protocératops (“first horned head”) is small a Dinosaure Herbivore cératopsien of the size of a Mouton having lived with the lower Crétacé in Mongolia. Contrary to the species which succeeded to him, the protocératops does not present any horn developed well on its head - it has just an osseous outgrowth on the muzzle, outgrowth which will develop in horn among its successors. It had also a broad flange, typical cératopsiens, which could be used for protection of its neck, to anchor the muscles of its jaw or to impress its congeneric.

In 1971, an extraordinary discovery was made: it was about a Vélociraptor found étreignant a protocératops in Mongolia. Both probably died together in the combat, surprised by a sandstorm or the collapse of a dune on them.

One counts of them today two species, P. andrewsi , the standard species, and P. hellenikorhinus . Both family members éponyme of the protocératopsidés , they are narrowly related with Leptoceratops which lived in North America.

Time: Cretaceous
Size: 1,8 m length
Habitat: Food Mongolia
Mode: herbivore

Theories on the behavior of Protoceratops

In 1922, a forwarding of scientist in the déset of Gobi in Mongolia découvrèrent nests of protocératops. They were the first eggs of dinosaurs ever found. In this nest one found about thirty eggs, this great number made think of the researchers whom two females or more divided it. They were to defend their nests against the predatory ones like Oviraptor , whose name means “egg robber”. The liquid which was inside eggs of dinosaurs was indeed a food trying for this animal. Close to a nest one found a skeleton fossilized of Oviraptor to crushed cranium; a father or a mother perhaps put themselves in anger when it tried to plunder the nest. One found several nests in the vicinity from/to each other, which appears to indicate that these animals lived in groups of the same family or small herds. Once completed the development of egg, the small ones which left the shell were some 30 centimetres long. The adult females defended them and they carried food until to them they were sufficiently large to seek themselves and to be defended against the predatory ones which watched for them.

Origin of the myth of let us scratch

The folklorist Adrienne Mayor wondered whether the craniums of this dinosaur, found formerly, would not be at the origin of the mythical creatures like the griffon S; that one thinks of the body which resembles that of a horse and of the head which makes think of that of a bird.

Simple: Protoceratops

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