70-Million-Year Old Horned Dinosaur Skull Found in Canada

University of Calgary paleontologists recently found a 70-million-year old skull of a horned dinosaur.

 The pachyrhinosaur (Pack-ee-rye-no-soar) skull was discovered by Darla Zelenitsk and team during a research conducted last October in Alberta Badlands, Canada.

According to researchers, it has been nearly 50 years since the last such discovery of pachyrhinosaur skull in the region.

"It is very rare to find such a complete skull specimen of this size and type in the region," said Zelenitsky. "Based on our preliminary estimates, the dinosaur's head would have been well over two metres long and was likely of a mature or older individual. The skull of this animal has an enormous bony structure over the snout that would have made for a very strange looking individual."

Pachyrhinosaurs, according to a news release from the University, were four legged, plant-eating, horned dinosaurs that roamed North America in a region now known as Alberta. The gigantic dinosaurs were about six meters in length and had bumps and frill on their heads.

 Interest in horned dinosaurs increased with the discovery of Pachyrhinosaurus Canadensis in 1946. Several species of the horned dinosaurs have been found in other regions of North America.

Zelenitsky and team spent ten days to remove the rocks and extract the skull. The team is currently removing the rock that has encased the skull.

 "So far, the upper part of the skull has been exposed and the skull will be flipped over to prepare the lower part, including the jaws," explained Zelenitsky in a news release. "There are still many months of work necessary in order to clean the entire skull."

Researchers aren't sure if they have found a new species of the dinosaur.        

 "Our initial goal will be to determine if this specimen represents a new species," added Zelenitsky. "Following that, the specimen will be measured and scanned to help document how the skull of pachyrhinosaurs changed during growth, particularly in the later stages of life."