Paleontologists report discovery of 2 new horned dinosaur species in southern Utah
By Brock Vergakis, APWednesday, September 22, 2010
New dinosaur species discovered in southern Utah
SALT LAKE CITY — Paleontologists say they have discovered fossils of two new dinosaur species in southern Utah.
The plant-eating dinosaurs are closely related to the three-horned triceratops, but one of them has five times as many horns on its head.
That makes the Kosmoceratops (koz-mo-SARA’-tops) the most ornately adorned dinosaur known to man.
The Kosmoceratops and the larger-bodied five-horned Utahceratops were named in the scientific journal PLoS ONE on Wednesday.
Utah scientists believe most of the horns were used to attract mates and intimidate rivals of the same species.
The dinosaur fossils were found in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah. The area has been a hotbed for dinosaur discoveries over the past decade.
The skulls of the species are on display at the Utah Museum of Natural History.
