Mesozoic Earth - Torosaurus riverside

Location Wyoming, USA 75 million years ago Mean atmospheric O₂ 150% of modern level Mean atmospheric CO₂ 6x pre-industrial level Mean temperature 4°C above modern level		Geologic Time Scale Era: Mesozoic Period: Cretaceous Epoch: Late Age: Campanian

	Torosaurus riverside A five ton, 25-foot-long male ceratopsid dinosaur of the genus Torosaurus drinks from a river bordered by ferns and deciduous conifers of the species Taxodium distichum (AKA Bald Cypress) 75 million years ago in what is today southeastern Wyoming. Torosaurus had one of the largest skulls of any known land animal, reaching over 8 feet in length. Like the better known Triceratops, Torosaurus was a ceratopsid, a family of large four-legged plant-eating dinosaurs characterized by beaks, rows of shearing teeth in the back of the jaw, and elaborate horns and frills. While they resemble defensive shields, the frills are in fact relatively fragile, suggesting that they may have served a purpose other than protecting against a brute force attack. One possibility is that the frills were employed as visual displays in order to intimidate rivals and attract the opposite sex.