Torosaurus

* Evolution 2
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* Evolution

* Evolution 2
* Evolution

***Torosaurus*** is a genus of ceratopsid dinosaur that originated from Late Cretaceous North America. *Torosaurus* fossils are first unlocked on Isla Tacaño then excavated in the Lance Formation, Laramie Formation, Hell Creek Formation, and Frenchman Formation.

## History

Working for the original Jurassic Park in 1993, Dr. Laura Sorkin discovered that *Torosaurus* is only an adult form of *Triceratops* rather than a distinct genus.

End of information based on Jurassic Park: The Game.

## Characteristics

Among the larger ceratopsians and notable for having one of the largest skulls the world has ever seen, measuring up to 2.7 meters in length, *Torosaurus* is a herbivorous ceratopsid dinosaur that lived across the western interior of North America. *Torosaurus* has a large bulky body, a wide, sweeping frill, and three horns; one on its snout and two above its eyes. Similar in size and appearance to its relative, *Triceratops*, *Torosaurus* measures almost eight meters in length and weighs up to six tons, requiring a huge amount of vegetation every day for sustenance. Its beak and shearing teeth allowed it to eat tough vegetation like palms and horsetails. Fossil remains have shown that its neck frill on its skull contained two large holes, lending the genus its name, which translates to "*Perforated Lizard*". It has been suggested that *Torosaurus* is actually a mature form of *Triceratops*, but this hasn't been proven as yet. The dinosaur's base cosmetic genome is mostly a pale grey with some dark grey markings on its back and light reddish spots surrounded by white rings on its frill.

Unlocked midway through the main campaign, *Torosaurus* has average requirements and is otherwise relatively easy to take care of.

### Behaviour

Like all other ceratopsians, *Torosaurus* will engage in a death duel with large and medium carnivores such as *Tyrannosaurus* and *Metriacanthosaurus* if provoked.

*Torosaurus* is a somewhat social animal and requires at least one more of its own kind to maintain a healthy comfort level but otherwise has a low maximum social and population limit. Additionally, *Torosaurus* is capable of living somewhat peacefully alongside small carnivores such as *Proceratosaurus* and *Velociraptor*, only occasionally engaging in non-fatal territorial fights.

*Torosaurus* will, as all herbivores do, socialize with others of its own species on occasion, but otherwise behaves very similarly to other ceratopsians.

## Paleontology

The discovery of *Torosaurus* occurred in 1891, when two large complete skulls with perforated frills were unearthed in south-eastern Wyoming by the so-called "*king of collectors*", John Bell Hatcher, and has been found throughout the North American continent from Texas to Saskatchewan. It was one of the last dinosaurs living in the Late Cretaceous prior to the KT mass extinction. In recent years, the *Torosaurus* genus has come under scrutiny as, since 2009, a study concluded that *Torosaurus* and *Triceratops* were the same dinosaur, with *Torosaurus* being a more mature form of *Triceratops*. This theory has been subject to much scrutiny in the following years but remains controversial and potentially disproven. However, the holes established it as a separate genus from *Triceratops*, a similar dinosaur that had been discovered two years earlier, and renowned paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh named the new genus *Torosaurus*.

*Torosaurus* is known for possessing one of the largest skulls of any terrestrial animal, measuring 9.1 feet (2.77 m) in length.

### Paleoecology

*Torosaurus* dates back around 65-70m years to the Late Cretaceous period in North America. There, it lived in herds and existed alongside a variety of other dinosaurs such as the armored *Ankylosaurus*, the ornithopods *Edmontosaurus* and *Thescelosaurus*, the pachycephalosaurs *Pachycephalosaurus*, *Stygimoloch*, and *Dracorex*, the ornithomimid *Struthiomimus*, the fellow ceratopsian *Triceratops*, and the apex predator, the massive theropod *Tyrannosaurus*.

In terms of its environment, the vast range of *Torosaurus* indicates that it lived in a variety of environments, including subtropical inland, coastal regions, and semi-arid plains - although, they would have favored areas with ranging brush and ground cover.

## Available genomes

 Hell Creek Formation | ★★★★★★★
 Lance Formation | ★★★★★★★★★★
 Laramie Formation | ★★★★★★★

## Skins

 NULL

 ALPINE

 COASTAL

 RAINFOREST

 STEPPE

 WOODLAND

## References

1. ↑ Jurassic Park: The Game [Video game]. (2011). Telltale Games.
2. ↑ Bowdler, Neil. (March 1, 2012). *Triceratops and Torosaurus dinosaurs 'two species, not one'* BBC. Retrieved March 20, 2021.