
Triceratops and Torosaurus: Same Dinosaur Two dinosaurs became one this week, as paleontologists have just discovered that the dinosaurs previously known as Triceratops and Torosaurus are actually the same species. (The classic image of a Triceratops is on the left, while the new face of Triceratops, previously called Torosaurus, is on the right. Artwork by Holly Woodward, Montana State University) For over a century, scientists thought Torosaurus was a unique species. It was characterized as having a huge frill, bigger than that of Triceratops, with two large holes in it. But Montana State University paleontologists John Scannella and Jack Horner now say the excavated Torosaurus remains were just Triceratops at different growth stages. The findings are published in the latest issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. (John Scannella works on a Triceratops fossil found north of Jordan, Montana, on the Hell Creek Ranch. Photo by Lon Bolick.) Scannella thinks the confusion is unde...