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Medusaceratops lokii makes up for Brontosaurus

Medusaceratops lokii

They took away our Brontosaurus, which was a bummer, but I tell you, the Medusaceratops lokii more than makes up for it. The Brontosaurus was kind of a ninny anyway.

Approximately 20 feet long and weighing more than 2 tons, the newly identified plant-eating dinosaur lived nearly 78 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now Montana. Its identification marks the discovery of a new genus of horned dinosaur.

Medusaceratops had giant brow bones more than 3 feet long over each eye, and a large, shield-like frill off the back of its skull adorned with large curling hooks. Medusaceratops lokii means "Loki’s horned-faced Medusa," referring to the thickened, fossilized, snake-like hooks on the side of the frill. It was named after Loki, the Norse god of mischief, because the new dinosaur initially caused scientists some confusion..."Although the ornamentation on the frill is pretty spectacular, it probably was not used for defense against predators; rather it was more likely prehistoric “bling” used to attract a mate."


Via Buzzfeed

Posted by: aaron cohen

Category: Blog

Tagged: ,

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