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Description

•Scientific Name: Styracosaurus albertensis

•Pronunciation: sty-rak-oh-sore-us

•Meaning in Latin: Spiked lizard

•Code Name: Styrac

•Discovered by: Lawrence Lambe, 1913

•Classification: Animalia, Chordata,‭ ‬Sauropsida, Reptilia, Eureptilia, Romeriida, Diapsida, Neodiapsida, Sauria, Archosauromorpha, Crocopoda, Archosauriformes, Eucrocopoda, Crurotarsi, Archosauria, Avemetatarsalia, ‬Ornithodira, Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Ornithischia,‭ Genasauria, Neornithischia, Cerapoda, Marginocephalia, Ceratopsia, Neoceratopsia, Coronosauria, Ceratopsoidea, Ceratopsidae, Centrosaurinae, Eucentrosaura, Centrosaurini

•Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 75.5 to 75 million years ago

•Location: ‬USA - Canada,‭ ‬Alberta‭ ‬-‭ ‬Dinosaur Park Formation

•Length: 5.5 meters (18 feet) long

•Weight: 3 tons (6,000 lbs)

•Diet: Herbivore

Like an armor-laden knight, Styracosaurus would have cut an imposing figure on the forested river plains in what is now Alberta, Canada. Multiple individuals of these rhino-size herbivores have been identified in the same bone beds, suggesting they travelled in herds. Horned dinosaurs are a well-understood group, says Hans-Dieter Sues, and since Styracosaurus lived near the end of this lineage, we can trace the evolutionary paths that led to it. Its ancestors began with a little bump over their nose and then developed a little bit of a frill at the back of the skull, but Styracosaurus takes these traits to the top. The bump on the nose in ancestral species evolved into an enormous spike that would have given Styracosaurus a potent weapon to fight off predators and fend off rivals. Meanwhile, the skull frill enlarged and added a profusion of horns, which probably let others of its species identify it from a distance. Some scientists have suggested blood pumped into the skin covering the frill could have caused it to change colour, possibly to attract mates or to scare enemies. These extreme traits just didn't suddenly appear, says Sues, but there were compelling reasons why they were selected and pushed down the evolutionary line.

Geographic, National. (Dec 2007). Extreme Dinosaurs!. National Geographic Society.

Model based on: Styracosaurus from National Geographic's Bizarre Dinosaurs (2008) and Extreme Dinosaurs (The National Geographic Magazine / December, 2007)
Spore Abilities: Level 4 Sprint, Level 2 Bite, Level 1 Charge, Level 3 Strike, Level 4 Sing, Level 5 Dance, Level 2 Charm

Note: This SPORE model has Creepy & Cute parts. SPORE players downloading this model is required to have the C&C expansion pack in order to access to the model.

Description

•Scientific Name: Styracosaurus albertensis

•Pronunciation: sty-rak-oh-sore-us

•Meaning in Latin: Spiked lizard

•Code Name: Styrac

•Discovered by: Lawrence Lambe, 1913

•Classification: Animalia, Chordata,‭ ‬Sauropsida, Reptilia, Eureptilia, Romeriida, Diapsida, Neodiapsida, Sauria, Archosauromorpha, Crocopoda, Archosauriformes, Eucrocopoda, Crurotarsi, Archosauria, Avemetatarsalia, ‬Ornithodira, Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Ornithischia,‭ Genasauria, Neornithischia, Cerapoda, Marginocephalia, Ceratopsia, Neoceratopsia, Coronosauria, Ceratopsoidea, Ceratopsidae, Centrosaurinae, Eucentrosaura, Centrosaurini

•Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 75.5 to 75 million years ago

•Location: ‬USA - Canada,‭ ‬Alberta‭ ‬-‭ ‬Dinosaur Park Formation

•Length: 5.5 meters (18 feet) long

•Weight: 3 tons (6,000 lbs)

•Diet: Herbivore

Like an armor-laden knight, Styracosaurus would have cut an imposing figure on the forested river plains in what is now Alberta, Canada. Multiple individuals of these rhino-size herbivores have been identified in the same bone beds, suggesting they travelled in herds. Horned dinosaurs are a well-understood group, says Hans-Dieter Sues, and since Styracosaurus lived near the end of this lineage, we can trace the evolutionary paths that led to it. Its ancestors began with a little bump over their nose and then developed a little bit of a frill at the back of the skull, but Styracosaurus takes these traits to the top. The bump on the nose in ancestral species evolved into an enormous spike that would have given Styracosaurus a potent weapon to fight off predators and fend off rivals. Meanwhile, the skull frill enlarged and added a profusion of horns, which probably let others of its species identify it from a distance. Some scientists have suggested blood pumped into the skin covering the frill could have caused it to change colour, possibly to attract mates or to scare enemies. These extreme traits just didn't suddenly appear, says Sues, but there were compelling reasons why they were selected and pushed down the evolutionary line.

Geographic, National. (Dec 2007). Extreme Dinosaurs!. National Geographic Society.

Model based on: Styracosaurus from National Geographic's Bizarre Dinosaurs (2008) and Extreme Dinosaurs (The National Geographic Magazine / December, 2007)
Spore Abilities: Level 4 Sprint, Level 2 Bite, Level 1 Charge, Level 3 Strike, Level 4 Sing, Level 5 Dance, Level 2 Charm

Note: This SPORE model has Creepy & Cute parts. SPORE players downloading this model is required to have the C&C expansion pack in order to access to the model.