Triceratops Never Existed!

[miniPhil]

Don't you just love it when scientists ruin your childhood?

The scientists, John Scannella and Jack Horner, believe that the Torosaurus and Triceratops are actually of the same species. According to the them, as a Triceratops aged, its horns and frill became more similar to that of a Torosaurus. Short becomes long, saw-edged becomes smoothed and so on. Having them be the same species would explain why there were never any young Torosaurus fossils discovered.

Full article.

Ok I know it hasn't been super confirmed yet but this really sucks. That dinosaur made me want to be a paleontologist for nearly a decade. Nothin could touch him.

[GameGeeks]

That doesn't mean they didn't exist. It just means there's now new info about them. I wouldn't be surprised if they stuck with the name Triceratops since that's the most popular name of those two.

[John Watson]

The whole dinosaur thing frightened me to death as a child and gave me many nightmares of T-Rexes chasing me down and trying to eat me!

Damn you Jurassic Park! T.T

If it didnt exist at all, then GOOD! Dinosaurs SCARE me! Dont ask... T-T

[wolfgirl90]

That doesn't mean they didn't exist. It just means there's now new info about them. I wouldn't be surprised if they stuck with the name Triceratops since that's the most popular name of those two.

Yeah, the title of the article is a bit misleading. This study was done in late July, so nothing is confirmed. All we have is a theory.

However, they might change the name of the genus to Torosaurus despite the popularity of the name Triceratops (that's what scientists do). Of course, they might decide to just call the juvinile Torosaurus a "Triceratops" just to appease the masses.

I mean, how many people are still going crazy after Pluto was determined to be something else other than a planet?

[Diocletian]

Yeah, like I'm going to believe some ahole named Jack Horner that triceratops never existed. This guy needs to shut his lying mouth. "Look at me, I look at rocks and make crap up about animals that died millions and billions of years ago"!

[Eris]

Well, paleontology is to be taken with a grain of salt. There is only so much real evidence you can gather from fossils, and the rest is at best conjecture. So naturally, theories are updated pretty frequently in the field. Many dinosaurs are now suspected of having feathers, and T-rex was most likely not a ferocious predator, but either partially, or exclusively a scavenger.

But this is prime example of why you should never teach the public science. They just sit around forging emotional attachments to anthropomorphized versions of your findings, like dinosaurs or planets, so when you need to revoke your theories, they're up in arms on how you've ruined their fairy-tale land.

[Skylar1]

Well, paleontology is to be taken with a grain of salt. There is only so much real evidence you can gather from fossils, and the rest is at best conjecture. So naturally, theories are updated pretty frequently in the field. Many dinosaurs are now suspected of having feathers, and T-rex was most likely not a ferocious predator, but either partially, or exclusively a scavenger.

But this is prime example of why you should never teach the public science. They just sit around forging emotional attachments to anthropomorphized versions of your findings, like dinosaurs or planets, so when you need to revoke your theories, they're up in arms on how you've ruined their fairy-tale land.

Eh.. I think you should re-word that. Just saying. =\

[GameGeeks]

@wolfgirl: Wait Pluto isn't a planet? J/k, but yeah, it is rather small, wouldn't be surprised if it's eventually called a moon. @Eris: Actually, that's the exact reason I like science. Things are always changing and new things are always being discovered.

[Capernicus]

I know for a fact that the Triceratops existed. I mean, you wouldn't have the Blue Ranger without it. So therefor, it must exist. Similarly Sailor Pluto proves that Pluto is indeed a planet (and so is the moon!).

[Eris]

Eh.. I think you should re-word that. Just saying. =\

Not at all. They've had their chance, and they blew it. Scientists should henceforth live like wizards* isolated in a tower while the general public wander aimlessly in their beloved ignorance. The tower would broadcast commands to them, build huts there, bring us food, entertain us by dancing like a bird; and those who disobey are struck by lightning (or rather a high powered laser mounted on top of the tower. So it's more like burning ants with a magnifying glass).

* Any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable form magic.

[SigmaSD]

I guess we'll see how it goes. Lately scientists just spew out random experimental results in the news. One day they say tomatoes help reduce cancer, and the other they say its asparagus. There are others that I could mention, but I'll just leave it at that. Hopefully the Triceratops isn't degraded from a species to a "part of another species". (forgot word ) Pseudo-species?

[Eris]

I guess we'll see how it goes. Lately scientists just spew out random experimental results in the news. One day they say tomatoes help reduce cancer, and the other they say its asparagus. There are others that I could mention, but I'll just leave it at that. Hopefully the Triceratops isn't degraded from a species to a "part of another species". (forgot word ) Pseudo-species?

What happens is that scientists perform a study and publish it. Some nincompoop in media reads it and sees the word 'tomato' and 'cancer' on the same page. Then it calls the scientist and asks if tomatoes cure cancer. The scientist answers the question, but the nincompoop does not understand more than 30% of what the scientist is saying, and fills in the gaps with sensationalism instead.

[SigmaSD]

What happens is that scientists perform a study and publish it. Some nincompoop in media reads it and sees the word 'tomato' and 'cancer' on the same page. Then it calls the scientist and asks if tomatoes cure cancer. The scientist answers the question, but the nincompoop does not understand more than 30% of what the scientist is saying, and fills in the gaps with sensationalism instead.

Lol, exactly right. The funniest one I heard was that sperm helps reduce breast cancer by only 60%.

[GameGeeks]

The news media is just a bunch of bias hoopla. Only watch it for entertainment purposes only. I recommend Glen Beck for a great source of entertainment.

[SigmaSD]

The news media is just a bunch of bias hoopla. Only watch it for entertainment purposes only. I recommend Glen Beck for a great source of entertainment.

Why did you have to mention Glen Beck? I don't like that guy at all. He pretends to be neutral, but its obvious he's a hardcore republican. Its like being in the KKK and saying you don't hate other races, just dislike them.

[GameGeeks]

That's my whole point. The news media is just laughable. I was being sarcastic.

[SigmaSD]

That's my whole point. The news media is just laughable. I was being sarcastic.

I just think its funny when they have all this news about people killing each other and stuff, and then they finish off by showing you the new baby panda born at the zoo. rolf

[Skylar1]

Not at all. They've had their chance, and they blew it. Scientists should henceforth live like wizards* isolated in a tower while the general public wander aimlessly in their beloved ignorance. The tower would broadcast commands to them, build huts there, bring us food, entertain us by dancing like a bird; and those who disobey are struck by lightning (or rather a high powered laser mounted on top of the tower. So it's more like burning ants with a magnifying glass).

* Any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable form magic.

I approve of this new exclusive club of science wizardry.

Might I suggest that we build our new kingdom in a more exotic location, away from the lesser-intelligent, such as the eleventh dimension?

[SigmaSD]

Why would having more dimensions make it a "pea-brain"?

I'm all for the 11th dimension, which oddly enough looks like a fractal.

[Skylar1]

Why would having more dimensions make it a "pea-brain"?

I'm all for the 11th dimension, which oddly enough looks like a fractal.

*Brane, As in "membrane".

fix'd

[.Lovebeat]

The whole dinosaur thing frightened me to death as a child and gave me many nightmares of T-Rexes chasing me down and trying to eat me!

Damn you Jurassic Park! T.T

Hahaha, same here. I've dreamed about hiding from T-rexes in my house several times, while they're right outside my window. T_T