Pachyrhinosaurus

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Pachyrhinosaurus

Zoo Tek Phoenix

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Author: Moondawg

Keywords: extinct animals

Release Date: Oct 30 2009

Current PachyrhinosaurusMD2009.ztd dated 29 October 2009

File Size: 1.04mb

Compatibility: DD and CC

Description: Pachyrhinosaurus (meaning "thick-nosed reptile") is a genus of ceratopsid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period of North America.
The first examples were discovered by Charles M. Sternberg in Alberta, Canada, in 1946, and named in 1950. Twelve partial skulls and a large assortment of fossils have been found in total in Alberta and Alaska. A great number were not available for study until the 1980s, resulting in a relatively recent increase of interest in the Pachyrhinosaurus. Instead of horns, the skull bears massive, flattened bosses, the largest being over the nose. These were probably used in butting and shoving matches, as in musk oxen. A single pair of horns grew from the frill and extended upwards. It appears that that both the shape and size of the frill was highly individualized, reliant on gender and perhaps other factors. Pachyrhinosaurus is most closely related to Achelousaurus.

Pachyrhinosaurus was 5.5 to 7 meters (18 to 23 ft) long. It weighed about four tons. It was herbivorous and possessed strong cheek teeth to help it chew tough, fibrous plants.

The type species, Pachyrhinosaurus canadensis, was described in 1950 by Charles Mortram Sternberg.

In 1972, Grande Prairie, Alberta science teacher Al Lakusta found a large bonebed along Pipestone Creek in Alberta. When the area was finally excavated between 1986 and 1989 by staff and volunteers of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, paleontologists discovered an amazingly large and dense selection of bones--up to 100 per square meter, with a total of 3500 bones and 14 skulls. This was apparently the site of a mass mortality, perhaps a failed attempt to cross the river during a flood. Found amongst the fossils were the skeletons of four distinct age groups ranging from juveniles to full grown dinosaurs, indicating that the Pachyrhinosaurus did indeed care for their young.

The adult skulls had both convex and concave bosses as well as unicorn-style horns on the parietal bone just behind their eyes. The concave boss types might be related to erosion only and not reflect male/female differences. In 2008, a detailed monograph describing the skull of the Pipestone Creek pachyrhinosaur, and penned by Philip J. Currie, Wann Langston, Jr., and Darren Tanke, classified the specimen as a second species of Pachyrhinosaurus, named P. lakustai after its discoverer

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Additional info:

PachyrhinosaurusMD2009.ztd                 uca: 634E53F2 dated 29 October 2009

Results From Configuration Checking:

634e53f2.uca date: Thu Oct 29 21:38:40 2009
No Errors or Warnings to show.
Animal Type: 634E53F2

Pachyrhinosaurus

The first examples were discovered by Charles M. Sternberg in Alberta, Canada,
in 1946, and named in 1950. Twelve partial skulls and a large assortment of
fossils have been found in total in Alberta and Alaska. A great number were
not available for study until the 1980s, resulting in a relatively recent
increase of interest in the Pachyrhinosaurus. Instead of horns, the skull
bears massive, flattened bosses, the largest being over the nose. These were
probably used in butting and shoving matches, as in musk oxen. A single pair
of horns grew from the frill and extended upwards. It appears that that both
the shape and size of the frill was highly individualized, reliant on gender
and perhaps other factors. Pachyrhinosaurus is most closely related to
Achelousaurus.
    (plus 4 other paragraphs)

Animal Characteristics:

Habitat: Deciduous Forest; Location: North America; Era: Cretaceous
Minimum happiness needed for chance of breeding: 95.
Cannot be used in original Zoo Tycoon: cKeeperFoodType (8) is not 0 to 5.

Exhibit Preferences:

Foliage:
Wild Olive Tree, Elm Tree, Pacific Dogwood Tree, Cherry Tree, Maple Tree
Thornless Mesquite Tree, Birch Tree, Trembling Aspen Tree, Globe Willow Tree
Japanese Maple Tree, Bushwillow Tree, Deciduous Bush, Weeping Willow Tree
White Oak Tree, Broadleaf Bush, Gingko Tree (DD), Glossopteris Tree (DD)
Magnolia Tree (DD), Monkey Puzzle Tree (DD), Bonsai (CC), Snowbell Tree (CC)

Rocks:
Large Rock, Large Rock - 1, Large Rock - 2, Large Rock - 3, Large Rock - 4
Small Rock - Medium, Small Rock - Small, Deciduous Forest Rock - Formation

Exhibit Construction:

Number of animals allowed per exhibit: 5-10 with 60 squares for each adult.

Exhibit size (for 5 adults): 300 grid squares

Terrain (for exhibit with 300 grid squares):
225 Deciduous Floor, 30 Dirt, 15 Fresh Water, 30 Grass

Foliage (for exhibit with 300 grid squares):
15 grid squares should contain foliage.
Foliage that would give the most happiness: Gingko Tree (DD)
Since this is a small plant, greatest happiness will occur
if each of the 15 grid squares contains 4 of this plant.

Rocks (for exhibit with 300 grid squares):
12 Small Rock - Small, which is its most liked rock.

Elevation: Of the 300 squares, 4 nonadjacent squares should be elevated.