A recent paleontological find includes well-preserved and complete skeletons of Triceratops unearthed from Hell Creek in Montana. The remains of the massive dinosaur were put together for people to have a glimpse of what it looked like during the Cretaceous period.
The assembly of the Triceratops was documented in a time-lapse video. The record demonstrates the paleontological work's detail and complexities that bring us back to the prehistoric age of the towering beasts.
The first launch of the Triceratops, named Horridus, commenced March 12 at Australia's Melbourne Museum.
Triceratops horridus: Most Complete Skeleton of Genus
Triceratops: Fate of the Dinosaurs, 2022, Melbourne Museum
The remains of Horriudus were erected at a height that measured over six feet. The total length of the Triceratops' collective pieces expands to 20 feet and is measured over a ton in weight.
Horridus, scientifically called the Triceratops horridus, was identified as part of the large diversity during the Cretaceous period. The dinosaur bones were excavated from a previously swampy and forest-rich region that is now Monta after being underground for about 67 million years.
Museums Victoria director and CEO Lynley Crosswell explained that it is common for many preservation facilities to gather dinosaur skeletons, but the assembly of the new Triceratops collection in the Melbourne Museum is exceptional, as it shows the significance of Horridus is a complete and quality presentation.
Croswell said that their organization is excited to present the assembled prehistoric skeleton of Horridus to the modern world. The display of the Triceratops in Melbourne Museum is expected to draw major groups of visitors to the city and the state, the director continued.
According to a CengNews report, University of Bath's evolutionary biologist Nick Longrich explained that the Triceratops is a genus commonly found compared to other dinosaurs. The expert said these dinosaurs have their skull and skeletal remains preserved across various museums in many countries.
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Video of 266-Piece Horridus Bone Reconstruction
Longrich explained that despite the abundance of partial bones of the dinosaur, a complete and well-preserved find of whole Triceratops skeletons is 'surprisingly rare.'
The video of the Horridus assembly shows each of the dinosaur's skeletons being pieced together. A fast-paced reconstruction of the Triceratops' 266 bones was carefully placed on their original locations in the documentation.
The documentation showed the arrangement of the Triceratops' bones which equals 85 percent - the complete find ever to be amassed in the history of the paleontological field.
Longrich explained that the rarity of a fully-complete skeleton set could be explained due to similar events that transpired in the popular Serengeti plains, a region full of natural presentation of predator-prey relationships, decaying specimens, and incomplete remains.
When animals die, according to Longrich, other predatory species reduce the carcass into a few bones and skulls. This phenomenon is possibly similar to the activities during the Cretaceous period.
In addition, several marks on many skeletal finds were from bites, suggesting that softer bones were most likely crushed into pieces and left incomplete parts buried for millions of years.
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