Re: styracosaurus

[Tom Holtz <tholtz@geochange.er.usgs.gov>]

>That spelling doesn't look right... Anyway, I recently picked up a
>dinosaur calender illustrated by xxxxx Franczyk (spelling again). In one
>caption it claims that centrosaurus is now the female of styracosaurus. I
>was under the impression that this is only speculative. What's up?

Well, actually, there's a lot of confusion in that caption.  Some
individuals of "Monoclonius" may be Centrosaurus juveniles, and some
individuals of "Monoclonius" may be juveniles of Styracosaurus, and some
individuals labelled "Centrosaurus" may be young Styracosaurus.

However, no one has demonstrated that true Centrosaurus is a female
Styracosaurus.  I heard some years ago that there is a Syracosaurus bone
bed, but that might have turned out to be the Einiosaurus and/or
Achelousaurus bone beds.

                                
Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.                                   
tholtz@geochange.er.usgs.gov
Vertebrate Paleontologist in Exile                  Phone:      703-648-5280
U.S. Geological Survey                                FAX:      703-648-5420
Branch of Paleontology & Stratigraphy
MS 970 National Center
Reston, VA  22092
U.S.A.