We have an amazing series coming your way for the next four weeks! Get ready to dive into the wonderful world of dinosaurs with none other than our beloved Paleontologist, Natalia Jagielska. They’ve handpicked four incredible dinos in Paleo Pines for a deep dive.
Let’s kick things off with a real gem – the #psittacosaurus, lovingly nicknamed Taco! Not only have they spilled the beans on this little guy, but they’ve also cooked up a brand new artwork just for us. Natalia has even given our in-game version a mischievous rating to test our accuracy. Are you ready to see how well we’ve nailed it?
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The Bare Bone Basics:
The genus name Psittacosaurus means “parrot lizard”, largely thanks to the enormous charismatic beak of the animal. This Cretaceous critter belongs to Ceratopsians, which also homes the bulking, horned and frilled animals like Triceratops. Psittacosaurus was small however and likely bipedal (moved on two feet rather than four).
An Interesting Story:
We cannot observe dinosaurs directly, but circumstances in which we find fossils, can provide us with clues to animal behaviour. For example, a fossil site shows several (34 tiny individuals) baby Psittacosauruses cuddling together, suggesting these animals congregated together in their youth. The cluster of yealings sadly perished under a volcanic flow. Prehistoric tragedy.
Known Unknowns:
Psittacosaurus is one of the better-known extinct dinosaurs, with remains of its species being recovered in multiple countries. We have fossils of babies, adults; full skeletons preserved in herds and three dimensions; even flattened specimens retaining traces of delicate skin and other tissues, like mysterious bristles on the tail. As dinosaurs go, we know rather a lot about them, down to spots that decorated their forelimbs and even the colour of their underside!
Our rating from Natalia: Psittacosaurus: 5/5 Perfection!
Wishlist Paleo Pines to be the first to meet our little Taco!