Module9_Assignment_Growing up Triceratops

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Feb 20, 2024

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GLY 1102 Age of Dinosaurs Growing Up Triceratops By A. Marshall, adapted from a lab by M. Ward, Museum of the Rockies One of the ways paleontologists can learn about dinosaurs is to study different ways dinosaurs changed as they grew. To do this, paleontologists create growth series of dinosaur fossils. For example, at the Museum of the Rockies, paleontologists have created a Triceratops skull growth series. They have taken all of the Triceratops skull fossils in the Museum’s collection and lined them up in order from smallest to largest (presumably youngest to oldest). They then observe changes that happen to the animal’s skull as it gets bigger and older. This lab will explore the science of ontogeny – physical changes with age – and how it is used in paleontology. Part 1: Evolutionary change: Watch the Ted-x video embedded on the module 9 page, or use this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMlvhTfpTeI&feature=emb_logo , then answer the following questions: 1. The research discussed in this presentation examines fossils found int the ___ formation. 2. Going uphill in the formation, you are going _________ geologic time. a. forward in b. backward in c. staying at the same 3. How do the triceratops fossils change as you move up in the rock layers? 4. The changes in triceratops found in different rock units are a result of: a. Evolutionary changes, because you are looking at fossils preserved at different points of geologic time. b. Changes due to age (ontogenetic) – the rock units were all deposited at the same point in geologic time, so each fossil is different because the triceratops were at different growth stages when they died. 5. Why are triceratops such a useful species in which to study evolutionary and age-related change? Part 2 Ontogenetic change A growth series is used to illustrate and study the gradual changes in an organism as it grows. Many of you have these interesting bits of science hanging on your wall (or the walls of your parent’s house), like the examples below:

GLY 1102 Age of Dinosaurs Now imagine you only had one one picture of your child from 5 th grade, but went ahead and made one of the school photo collages like the examples above, by substituting other kids’ photos to represent all the other years you were missing. This is what we do for dinosaurs! This is important to keep in mind when examinig growth stages of extinct animals. 6. How might a growth series featuring all stages from a single individual differ from a growth series where each stage is represented by a different individual in terms of what you can examine in terms of developmental changes? Select which of the following answers is accurate. Note: There are certainly more answers you could give to this question other than the ones below. This is an interesting question to think aobut! • A growth series following one individual through all stages would more accurately show how an individual of that species develops but it won't show all the variations possible across the population. • A growth series constructed from multiple individuals representing different stages would more accurately show how individuals of that species develop. • Growth series featuring all stages from a single individual do not differ from those where a different individual represents each stage in terms of the developmental changes that you can examine.

GLY 1102 Age of Dinosaurs Examine the image below of triceratops skulls from the collection at Museum of the Rockies. If you would like to see the chief paleontologist of the museum, Dr. Scanella, talk through the examples in the image below, you can watch the first 3 minutes of this video: https://youtu.be/0-xiRbweM1k 7. Look carefully at the triceratops skulls and the changes that occur as it matures. For example, the horns grow in length. What other change to the horns occur? 8. Look closely at the frill. How is the frill of the juvenile different from that of the adult? 9. The largest skull in the collection is from a dinosaur officially in the literature as a ceratopsian called Torosaurus. A few years ago, paleontologists at the Museum of the Rockies hypothesized that torosaurus was actually the fully mature version of triceratops. What is the obvious difference between the adult skull of torosaurus and the younger adult skull of triceratops? 10. The hypothesis that torosaurus is just an old triceratops explain that as the frill got to a certain size, it thinned and holes eventually opened up in the frill to allow it to continue to grow in area without increasing the amount of bone mass. Let’s say you find a new

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GLY 1102 Age of Dinosaurs skull for the collection. Which of the following would add support to the hypothesis that triceratops eventually developed holes in their frills in old age? a.) a skull of a size in-between the adult triceratops and the torosaurus with smaller holes than those of torosaurus. b.) an even bigger skull than torosaurus that has no openings in it. c.) a juvenile or sub adult with holes in the frill.

Module9_Assignment_Growing up Triceratops

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