Trachodon
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Trachodon[1][2] is a dubious genus of herbivorous hadrosaurid dinosaur that is thought to have lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous period. Described in the mid-19th century based on its teeth, this dinosaur was one of the most widely known representatives of its family for almost a century, but it was later discovered that some of the teeth of the type specimen belong to ceratopsians, dinosaurs with a completely different body type and lifestyle. As a typical hadrosaurid in the minds of scientists of its time, Trachodon appeared in the 1925 film The Lost World, where it and other prehistoric animals were discovered by Professor George Challenger's expedition.
Name
The name "Trachodon" means "rough tooth" and is a combination of two Greek words — trachys (meaning "rough") and odon (meaning "tooth"). The dinosaur received this name because its teeth resembled rough pavement.[3]
Appearance
In The Lost World, Trachodon's appearance corresponds to the scientific understanding of hadrosaurids at the time. This bipedal animal, when walking, relies on its wriggling tail and is capable of standing upright, almost like a human. In the decades that followed, scientists debated whether ornithopod dinosaurs moved more often on two or four limbs, but in the 21st century, it is believed that all these animals were predominantly quadrupedal. Whatever their body position, they kept their tail raised rather than leaning on it. A flat, duck-like bill is located on Trachodon's head.
History
- The Lost World (1925)
The Lost World
On a plateau in the Amazon, a Trachodon was spotted by Professor Challenger's expedition grazing at the edge of a swamp. While the animal was feeding on low-growing vegetation, a hungry Allosaurus approached. Noticing the predator only after its menacing roar, the Trachodon began defending itself with its bill. The hadrosaurid resisted for a few moments, but lost its guard when the Allosaurus froze, seemingly confused. With a swift movement, the theropod bit it on the neck and tore off a chunk of flesh. The injured Trachodon fell into the swamp and drowned there. Having managed to swallow only one piece of meat, the Allosaurus turned its attention to Triceratopses grazing nearby.
Later, several other Trachodons fled the lava flow as a volcano erupted.
Abilities
Limbs
Trachodon moves on its powerful hind limbs. Its forelimbs are shorter but strong enough to push aside plant branches and fend off large predators.
Bill
With its flat, toothed bill, it tears and chews vegetation and can also deliver a powerful pinch to an attacker.
Weaknesses
The Trachodon attacked by the Allosaurus had poor hearing and slow reaction times, causing it to be quickly killed by its attacker.
Gallery
The Lost World
Trivia
- Trachodon is a possible replacement of Iguanodon, a more primitive Early Cretaceous ornithopod dinosaur that featured in Conan Doyle's original novel.
- Trachodon also appeared in Dinosaur Expedition Born Free, a Tsuburaya Productions TV series.
External links
References
This is a list of references for Trachodon. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
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