Einiosaurus

Live reconstruction of Einiosaurus

• USA

• Procurvicornis E. Sampson, 1995

Einiosaurus is a genus of bird Beck dinosaurs from the group of Ceratopsidae within the ceratopsians.

Features

With some six meters in length Einiosaurus was a medium-sized representatives of Ceratopsidae. The head was big and bulky, as with all animals of this group. The pointed snout consisted of the Rostralknochen ( in front of the upper jaw ) and the Praedentale ( in front of the lower jaw) together. The dentition was like all Ceratopsidae from dental batteries that are in rows spaced teeth that are replaced by the following tooth when worn. The occlusal surfaces of the teeth were almost perpendicular.

On the nose sat a large, laterally squeezed horn that was in some individuals bent forward. About the eyes were two more, but very small and rounded horns. The neck shield formed from the parietal and squamosal was provided relatively short and with two paired openings. At the rear edge of the shield were two long, backward -looking, slightly curved horns.

The physique resembled that of the other Ceratopsidae. The fuselage was stocky and sturdily built limbs. The hind legs that ended in four hufartigen toes were significantly longer than the front legs. Einiosaurus moved away quadruped ( on all fours ).

Paleobiology

From Einiosaurus are bone beds ( " bone stock " ) are known in which the remains of numerous animals have been found from different ages. It is thought that these animals at least temporarily living together in larger groups and perished together by a natural disaster ( flood or drought ).

Horns and neck shields of Ceratopsidae are often associated with the defense against predators in context. However, the headdress of Einiosaurus with forward curved nose horn and the rearwardly extending plate edge horns may not have been very well suited for defense purposes. Also the neck shield was too thin to act as protection against neck bites. After today's perspective, the headdress was primarily the identification of the individual species as well as the interaction with other dogs - either by exhibition, threatening gestures or in fighting. It may be decreased by territorial boundaries or mating privileges.

The tooth batteries of Einiosaurus with the vertical occlusal surfaces were aligned for overlapping but not be ground movement. The pointed snout is evidence of ability to selectively food intake, the construction of the lower jaw indicates a high bite force. It is probable that this dinosaur fed on hard, fibrous plants.

Discovery and designation

The fossil remains of Einiosaurus were found in the Two Medicine Formation in Montana, USA, and first described in 1995. The genus name is derived from einio, the word for buffalo in the language of the Blackfoot, and the Greek sauros / σαῦρος ( = " lizard" ) and may be translated as " buffalo lizard". Type species and only known species is E. procurvicornis. The finds are (late Campanian ) dated to the Late Cretaceous to an age of about 76 to 72 million years.

System

Einiosaurus is classified within the Ceratopsidae in the subfamily of Centrosaurinae, most of which were characterized by a large nasal horn, small supraorbital horns and short neck shields. His position within the Centrosaurinae is controversial. He is regarded either as a sister taxon of Achelousaurus - Pachyrhinosaurus clade or Styracosaurus Centrosaurus clade or basal representatives of Centrosaurinae.