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Monoclonius:
Monoclonius was a large ceratopsian with a huge head that was held close to the ground. Its skull was
6 feet long from beak to frill. It had a small frill on its head with a single nose horn that pointed upwards and two smaller
horns over the eyes. The short snout ended in a parrot-like, toothless beak, but Monoclonius also had many cheek teeth. It
walked on four legs with hoofed toes, had a bulky body, and a short, thick, pointed tail. Monoclonius may have been a herding
animal, snce some other ceratopsians may have been. Males may have had larger frills than females; the frill may have been used in courtship and
mating. Monoclonius was a ceratopsian, whose intelligence (as measured by its
relative brain to body weight, or EQ) was intermediate among the dinosaurs.
Muttaburrasaurus: Muttaburrasaurus is certainly a strange creature. When I first saw the
illustration in one of my dinosaur encyclopedias, I was, in the least, amused. Muttaburrasaurus is characterized by
a large nasal bullaor bumpon its snout, which might have housed an acoustic organ to make vocal sounds. Muttaburrasaurus
is certainly a radically awesome creation by God! Muttaburrasaurus probably walked on all fours, butlike most ornithopodscould
rear up on its back legs to reach into tree branches while scavenging for food, or maybe even to appear impressive before
a threatening adversary. Its jaws were loaded with muscles, greatly enhancing its chewing abilities. Teeth suitable for shearing
food and grinding plant matter were also found in the remains of the jaws; the separate teeth for shearing food and another
for grinding plant matter has led many to believe this rather docile, meek-looking animal might have been omnivorouseating
both plants and meat.
Ornitholestes: Ornitholestes was a "lizard-hipped" dinosaur with light, hollow bones. It was an agile two-legged predator and its long tail gave it great maneuverability and balance for hunting. Its head was relatively small and short with sharp,
conical teeth and a little crest on the top of its nose. It was small enough
to live deep in the forest, where it fed on lizards, small mammals and carrion. It could grab these with its strong hands that had 2 long clawed fingers and one short one. It had wrists that allowed it
to tuck its hands up close to its body in the same way a bird holds its wings, however this does not prove ancestry to birds
(see the chapter on Archaeopteryx as a missing link between dinosaurs and birds).
Ornithomimus: Ornithomimus was an ostrich-like dinosaur with a toothless, horny beak, a small head, large eyes, a relatively large
brain, a long neck, long tail, long legs, and hollow bones. It was about 6-8 feet tall. About half of its length was its neck
and tail. It had short arms with three clawed fingers on each hand, and long legs with three clawed toes on each foot. A long
tail acted as a counterbalance and as a stabilizer during fast turns. Its bones were hollow. Ornithomimus was an omnivore,
eating both plant and animal matter, including insects, small reptiles and mammals, eggs, fruit, and leaves. Ornithomimus
walked on two long, slender legs. It was a fast, agile dinosaur, probably running about as quickly as an ostrich, which can
run up to 43 mph. Ornithomimus was a theropod and among the smartest of the dinosaurs.
Othnielia: Othnielia was an ornithopod dinosaur. Othnielia had a horny beak and a small skull with self-sharpening cheek teeth.
Othnielia may have had cheek pouches. This plant eater was bipedal. It had thin legs and a stiffened tail that gave it speed
and agility. It had five-fingered hands and four-toed feet, all clawed. It had large eyes and short arms. Othnielia resembled
Hypsilophodon (but had longer feet and different vertebrae). Othnielia was a very fast bi-pedal runner. It had long legs with very long shins; this made it a very
fast runner. Running was its primary defense against predators. Othnielia had a stiffened tail that helped it balance when
running and turning. Othnielia may have lived in herds They probably laid eggs and may have cared for their young. Othnielia was an ornithopod, whose intelligence (as measured by its relative brain to body weight, or EQ)
was midway among the dinosaurs. This horny beaked dinosaur was an herbivore (it ate only plants). It had chisel-like cheek
teeth.
Ouranosaurus: Ouranosaurus was a sail-backed, plant-eating, iguanodontid dinosaur. Long-spined
vertebrae in the backbone formed Ouranosaurus sail. The spines stuck out from its back and tail; the spines were covered with
skin. The sail was probably used for temperature regulation in the hot, African environment. It would help the animal cool
down in the heat of day, by dispersing extra heat when the sail was turned away from the sun. It would also help Ouranosaurus
collect heat early in the morning when the sail faced the sun. The sail may also have been used for mating displays, rivalry
between other animals, or to make it look larger when confronting predators. Ouranosaurus had few defenses. Ouranosaurus' skull was longer than other iguanodontid skulls. It had a bit of a crest on its snout, two bony bumps.
Ouranosaurus had a flat, wide, toothless beak, and many cheek teeth for grinding plant material. The neck was short and flexible.
There were five short fingers on each hand. The second and third fingers had hoof-like nails that Ouranosaurus probably used
when it went on all four limbs to graze low-lying plants. Each thumb had a small conical spike like Iguanodon. Ouranosaurus was an ornithopod, whose intelligence was midway among the dinosaurs. Ouranosaurus was an herbivore, a
plant eater. It probably ate leaves, fruit, seeds, and other plant material with its tough beak. It had no teeth in its beak,
but had many cheek teeth that it used for grinding up tough plant material. Ouranosaurus
could run on two legs or walk on four; it was a relatively slow, bulky dinosaur.
Oviraptor: Oviraptor
is the most bird-like of all non-avian dinosaurs; the short snout, toothless jaws and stubby beak, along with its wide eyes,
have always engaged the vision of a bird within this dinosaur. However, Oviraptor is definitely not a bird, but a dinosaur
with a legacya legacy of committing a crime it never committed. A
thin, round bone crest adorned the top of its skull, much like the comb on a chicken. Oviraptor had slender limbs and
sharp claws on its hands. Strong legs meant it was probably a very speedy critter. On the ribs was a set of processes on the
ribs, helping to keep them rigid. Recent finds showed Oviraptor with a pygostyle, a set of fused vertebrae often found
in the tails of birds. Evolutionists claim this to be evidence of a bird-dinosaur relationship, but the processes on the ribs
and the pygostyle are just coincidences, mechanisms built into the body of the animals to help them live their daily lives
more securely. It is not evidence of a dinosaur-bird connection. So what
crime did Oviraptor commit? None. So what was it accused of? In
the 1920s, an American expedition into Mongolia uncovered several Oviraptor specimens near dinosaur eggs. The eggs
were considered to belong to Protoceratops, whose remains were common in the area. Oviraptor was accused of
trying to steal the eggs prior to its demise, hence the meaning behind the name Oviraptor: Egg Robber. However, the
eggs lacked embryosIn the 1990s, some seventy years after the initial discovery, another American team in Mongolia found similar eggs.
Inside these newly-discovered eggs were embryos, but not those belonging to developing Protoceratops. No, the embryos
were Oviraptors. Following the discovery, the fossilized carcasses of Oviraptors were found huddling over eggs
identical to the ones it had been accused of stealing, and also identical to the ones that contained Oviraptor embryos.
Oviraptor was accused of stealing its own eggs, when all it was doing was protecting them! Talk about shattered innocence!
Pachyrhinosaurus: Pachyrhinosaurus was a large, plant-eating dinosaur that had a bony, spiked neck frill,
four short legs, and a short tail. Pachyrhinosaurus may or may not have had a snout horn - it did have a large bony bump on
its nose (which may have had a horn growing on it). Pachyrhinosaurus had many small horns on the middle of its frill. Pachyrhinosaurus
may have been a herding animal, like some other ceratopsians. Pachyrhinosaurus probably hatched from eggs, and the young may have been cared
for by parents (but this is uncertain). When threatened by predators, Pachyrhinosaurus may have charged into its enemy like
a modern-day rhinoceros does. This would have been a very effective defense against predators. Pachyrhinosaurus was a ceratopsian,
whose intelligence (as measured by its relative brain to body weight, or EQ) was intermediate among the dinosaurs. Pachyrhinosaurus
probably ate cycads, palms, and other plants with its tough, toothed beak. It could also chew well with its cheek teeth (like
other ceratopsians, but unlike most other dinosaurs). Pachyrhinosaurus walked on four short legs; it may have been a relatively
fast dinosaur, perhaps running at up to 20 mph (32 kph). Dinosaur speeds are estimated using their morphology and fossilized trackways.
Parasaurolophus: Parasaurolophus is one of the most amazing Hadrosaurs that ever walked
the face of the planet. Its name means like Saurolophus, but the very appearance of its startling figure makes Saurolophus
disappear in the back of ones mind. Both it and Saurolophus had trombone-like crests protruding from the back of their
heads. The difference? The crest on Saurolophus was solid, but the crest sticking out from the back of Parasaurolophus
head was hollow, lined with looping nasal cavities running from the nostril on the crest to the throat. Several theories have
arisen over the past as to what the purpose of this crest was. They include: a snorkel for underwater swimming; an air container
for while Parasaurolophus was completely submerged beneath the waves; extra space to increase smell senses; and an
area to cool off the brain. However, the most widely-accepted theory today is that the crests were used to emit sounds to
warn of impending danger, attract potential mates, or signal to other members of its kind. It was also probably used as a
horn for social display, allowing other animals to tell who the particular animal was in the herd, the age of the animal,
and its sex. The nasal loops within the crest support the idea of noises being made through it. A vocal organsuch as a voice
boxwould make the sounds, and the sound was then pushed through the hollow tubes in the crest, giving it a deep, bellowing
rumble. Scientists have mapped the nasal loops within the crest, and have run simulations on it to determine what the sound
that came out was truly like: having heard it myself, I can tell you thatas I sat in the dark, alone in my house at night,
turning the volume up all the wayI felt shivers run down my spine as an eerie wail made me wrench down the volume. A noise
A yowl out of place in this world. A howl very, very alien.
Plateosaurus: Plateosaurus is the best known prosauropod. This particular dinosaur has been found in Germany, France and Switzerland.
Because of the bone structure in the skull, even while sleeping Plateosaurus seemed to be smiling; it was rather a
peaceful creature, we presume. Stout limbs supported the heavy weight of the dinosaur as it walked on all fours. The hind
legs were stronger than the front, suggesting it might have reared up on its back legs to eat out of trees or even appear
threatening before an assailant. There was a large claw on each thump, and they may have been used as weapons for defense.
The long tail was a counterbalance to the long, thick neck. Small ridges of bones were around the mouth, supporting the cheek
pouches. The cheeks were able to hold food, like hamsters or gerbils, and other rodents. Plateosaurus was a docile
plant-eater with numbers small, pointy teeth in its mouth, all of uniform size and shape, and fossil evidence shows it roamed
around in herds. Near Trossingen, Germany, a flash flood
killed a herd of Plateosaurus, he flood waters jumbling the skeletons together in a jumbled mass. Most of the famous
dinosaur bone graveyards in the world point to a flood being the trigger that
sent these dinosaurs to their doom, thereby supporting the Flood theory of dinosaur extinction (see the article, Extinction
of the Dinosaurs)
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