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Einiosaurus Pronunciation

How to say Einiosaurus. Phonetic guide for kids and parents.

How to Pronounce Einiosaurus

eye-NEE-oh-sore-us

ALL CAPS = stressed syllable

What does Einiosaurus mean?

Bison lizard with a forward-curving horn

Name Roots

"eini"

bison, from the Blackfeet (Blackfoot) Native American language

"sauros"

lizard, from Ancient Greek

"procurvicornis"

with a forward-curving horn, from Latin pro (forward) + curvus (curved) + cornu (horn)

Fun Facts

  • ✓Einiosaurus was named partly using the Blackfeet word 'eini' meaning bison, because paleontologist Scott Sampson believed these dinosaurs may have roamed in large herds across ancient Montana much like bison did on the Great Plains millions of years later.
  • ✓A single bone bed in Montana's Two Medicine Formation yielded the remains of at least 15 individual Einiosaurus, strong evidence that they lived and possibly died together as a herd, perhaps overwhelmed by a flood or drought.
  • ✓The nasal horn of Einiosaurus curves so dramatically forward and downward that some scientists think it may have been used for shoving and wrestling rivals during combat, rather than stabbing predators.
  • ✓Einiosaurus lived at the same time and place as another ceratopsian called Achelousaurus, and scientists have debated whether the two might actually represent different growth stages of the same animal rather than separate species.
  • ✓The Two Medicine Formation where Einiosaurus fossils were found preserves an ancient ecosystem that existed during a period of intense volcanic activity, meaning these dinosaurs lived with ash falling from nearby eruptions.

Period

Late Cretaceous

72.2 MYA

Diet

Herbivore

Size

15 ft (4.5 m)

approx. 2,200 lbs (1,000 kg)

Type

Ceratopsia

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