SALT LAKE CITY — A new dinosaur species discovered in Utah has been revealed.
The new dinosaur species was discovered on the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah in 2006. Paleontologists announced the name and details about the dinosaur at the Natural History Museum in Salt Lake City Wednesday.
Researchers have named the dinosaur Nasutoceratops titusi. The first part of the name means big nose horn face, while the second part of the name is in honor of Dr. Alan Titus, who has been instrumental in the research of the species.
Researchers said the dinosaur is a member of the triceratops family, and would have measured about 14 feet long and weighed 2.5 tons. A distinct feature of the species is its horns, one over the nose and one over each eye.
Scientists said the Nasutoceratops titusi would have lived 76 million years ago in a swampy sub-tropical setting on the island continent of western North America known as Laramidia.
“This animal to me has become a poster child for the uniqueness of the dinosaurs in the southern U.S.,” Dr. Titus said.
Scientists said they are continuing research on the Nasutoceratops titusi, and expect to find more of the species in Utah.