Bringing fossils back to life: New insights on the biology of the iconic dinosaur Triceratops

Abstract

This thesis presents the ‘Darnell Triceratops Bonebed’ (DTB) from Wyoming, USA, the world’s largest Triceratops bonebed to date, and aims to unravel its origin through a multidisciplinary approach applying established methods in geology and biology. In doing so, this work answers unresolved questions on Triceratops palaeobiology and create the most accurate (i.e., parsimonious) life reconstruction based on multiple independent lines of evidence. Bonebeds may often present a unique case study in archaeology and palaeontology alike, but it is crucial to distinguish between true mass death assemblages and time-accumulated assemblages, especially when considering the palaeobiological implications. We combined high-resolution grain size analyses, bone histological descriptions and stable isotope geochemistry – culminating in the ‘Bonebed Toolkit’ – to provide an in-depth analysis on Triceratops palaeobiology, including potential social behavioural patterns.