Explore the fascinating world of Ceratopsians in this 56-minute lecture by Thomas Evans. Delve into the unique characteristics, evolutionary history, and diverse lifestyles of these frilled dinosaurs. Learn about their dental adaptations, feeding habits, and brain structure. Discover insights into their locomotion, breeding behaviors, and ontogeny. Examine the purpose of their distinctive horns and frills, including their potential use in head-butting contests. Investigate specific genera such as Psittacosaurus, Centrosaurus, and Triceratops, gaining a comprehensive understanding of this remarkable group of dinosaurs.
Overview
Syllabus
Intro
Our place in the Dinosaur tree
Not just for nerds
Unifying Characters
Psittacosaurus
Size
Food and Feeding
Dental batteries
More eating
Brains and brawn?
the brain itself was too small to impress its form into the bony walls that surrounded it. Indeed, the most remarkable aspect of the brain structure af Pachwhinosaurus is how small and primitive it must have been. There is no evidence for any marked expansion of the neural centers of smell olfactory bulbs . Vision (optic lobes), motor coordination cerebel um , or higher cognitive function cerebrum . Likewise, the relatively short
Locomotion
Lockley and Hunt 1995
Breeding
Ontogeny
Same animal?
Horns and Head Butting
Using your head
Centrosaurus
Triceratops
Farke et al 2009
Next Lecture: Ornithopoda
Taught by
Thomas Evans
