Lesson plan
Torosaurus
Torosaurus (meaning "perforated lizard", in reference to the large openings in its frill) is a genus of herbivorous chasmosaurine ceratopsian dinosaur which lived during the Maastrichtian Stage of the Cretaceous Period between 68 and 66 million years ago, although it is possible that the species range might extend back as far back as 69 million years ago. Fossils which have been definitively identified as Torosaurus or which might belong to it have been discovered across the Western Interior of North America, from as far north as Saskatchewan to as far south as Texas. Measuring between and weighing around , Torosaurus possessed the longest skull of any known land animal, with the frilled skull reaching in length. Torosaurus is thought to have been the same size as the contemporary Triceratops, but is distinguished by an elongated frill with large oval shaped openings, long squamosal bones of the frill with a trough on their upper surface, and the presence of five or more pairs of hornlets on the back of the frill. Torosaurus possessed a short upright nose horn similar to that seen in Triceratops horridus. Two species of Torosaurus are presently considered valid: T. latus and T. utahensis. Torosaurus gladius is no longer considered a valid species, being now considered a synonym of T. latus. In 2010, the validity of Torosaurus was disputed.…
Article summary
Torosaurus (meaning "perforated lizard", in reference to the large openings in its frill) is a genus of herbivorous chasmosaurine ceratopsian dinosaur which lived during the Maastrichtian Stage of the Cretaceous Period between 68 and 66 million years ago, although it is possible that the species range might extend back as far back as 69 million years ago. Fossils which have been definitively identified as Torosaurus or which might belong to it have been discovered across the Western Interior of North America, from as far north as Saskatchewan to as far south as Texas. Measuring between and weighing around , Torosaurus possessed the longest skull of any known land animal, with the frilled skull reaching in length. Torosaurus is thought to have been the same size as the contemporary Triceratops, but is distinguished by an elongated frill with large oval shaped openings, long squamosal bones of the frill with a trough on their upper surface, and the presence of five or more pairs of hornlets on the back of the frill. Torosaurus possessed a short upright nose horn similar to that seen in Triceratops horridus. Two species of Torosaurus are presently considered valid: T. latus and T. utahensis. Torosaurus gladius is no longer considered a valid species, being now considered a synonym of T. latus. In 2010, the validity of Torosaurus was disputed.…
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
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