John Scannella and Jack Horner at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana, two men who apparently study dinosaur remains for a living, have decided based on "evidence" that the famed Triceratops and its close relative, Torosaurus, are not actually separate species but rather younger and older animals from the same species. As the two men say, "...triceratops is merely the juvenile form of torosaurus. As the animal aged, its horns changed shape and orientation and its frill became longer, thinner and less jagged. Finally it became fenestrated, producing the classic torosaurus form."
Well la-dee-frickin-da. Aren't we just so smart. As the article states, "Scannella and Horner examined 29 triceratops skulls and nine torosaurus skulls, mostly from the late-Cretaceous Hell Creek formation in Montana. The triceratops skulls were between 0.5 and 2 metres long. By counting growth lines in the bones, not unlike tree rings, they have shown clearly that the skulls come from animals of different ages, from juveniles to young adults. Torosaurus fossils are much rarer, 2 to 3 metres long and, crucially, only adult specimens have ever been found.
The duo say there is a clear transition from triceratops into torosaurus as the animals grow older. For example, the oldest specimens of triceratops show a marked thinning of the bone where torosaurus has holes, suggesting they are in the process of becoming fenestrated."
Until they find a skull whose age is in between those of the juvenile/young adult Triceratops and the adult Torosaurus, and observe whether or not it has holes, this whole thing is just two guys spouting off their somewhat educated opinions. It really is just speculation on their part, evidence be damned. Then the pair goes on to claim that the large bony frill on the skull actually wasn't for defense. "If I was a triceratops I wouldn't want anything too damaging to happen to my frill, as it had numerous large blood vessels running over the surface,' says Scannella. 'I don't imagine holding up a thin bony shield that can gush blood would be a very effective means of defence."
How about this idea, dumbass? Humans have bones for protection, none of which are very thick...take the ribs for example. Along with the spinal column the ribs are just about the only natural defense our body has for our internal organs. And they're covered by skin, which, when injured, GUSHES BLOOD! Why would it be so far-fetched to think that a dinosaur may have used a large bony structure that just happened to be covering the area over its NECK as a defensive tool? Hmmh, yeah, can't answer that can you? The "upside" (if you can call it that) is this: Torosaurus will now be abolished as a species and specimens reassigned to Triceratops, says Horner." Whatever, on to the next part. Oh yeah...there's a next part.
So the Triceratops thing is bad enough right? Well guess what kids, they aren't finished! Get a load of this: "Last year, Horner and Mark Goodwin of the University of California, Berkeley, claimed something similar for another iconic Hell Creek dinosaur, the dome-headed pachycephalosaurus, perhaps best known for headbutting jeeps in Jurassic Park 2.
Two similar dinosaurs, classified as Dracorex and Stygimoloch, are also known from Hell Creek. Horner and Goodwin say that they are not separate species but juveniles of pachycephalosaurus (PLoS One, vol 4, p e7676). If so, this is an even more extreme case of shape-shifting than triceratops, with the animal growing horns and then re-absorbing them into its skull as it ages."
How in God's name can horns be re-absorbed? And wouldn't they just be "absorbed," since the process only happens (supposedly) once in the animal's life? "Horner says this makes it unlikely that pachycephalosaurus engaged in headbutting as it, too, retained spongy, immature bone throughout adulthood. As with the frill of triceratops, its dome was probably used for display." So I guess there were certain female dinosaurs that also went wild for the bald look on a male? How would the animal defend itself without a hardened bony skull cap? Would it use harsh language instead? I'm just about in tears.
AND, and, there's this: "a dinosaur called Nanotyrannus has been tentatively reclassified as a juvenile form of Tyrannosaurus rex."
So taken as a whole you have two species being completely removed from the scientific record, another being essentially castrated of its bad-assedness, and the whole idea of a diverse dinosaur population thrown into jeopardy. Good job. I hope you sleep well tonight, Mr. Scannella and Mr. Horner. Know that you have destroyed many a person's fond childhood memories. I will part with this simple message:
