Saturday, February 13, 2016

The Stories of Febuary. Ojoceratops

 Fossils sitting in a museum and sometimes thought to belong to one kind of ceratopsian dinosaur are sometimes found to actually represent another upon later examination.‭ ‬This is how others such as Mojoceratops and Spinops were discovered,‭ ‬and is also how Ojoceratops was discovered.‭ ‬Ojoceratops was classed as Torosaurus,‭ ‬but‭ ‬is thought to have resembled a Triceratops with a squared off frill.‭
       The discovery and naming of new genera means publishing study papers that details the distinguishing features of a genus,‭ ‬the identifying characteristics that make one genus standout from amongst others.‭ ‬The raising of the new Ojoceratops genus from unfamiliar fossil material has allowed other palaeontologists to share their opinions upon the raising of the genus and its validity.‭ ‬Unfortunately for Ojoceratops many have pointed out stark similarities to both Triceratops and Eotriceratops.‭ ‬Further study may yet declare it as a synonym to one of these two genera.
 

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