The ultimate prehistoric lawnmower is unveiled today by scientists, a lumbering giant that had more than enough teeth to eat just about any vegetation it stumbled across.

From remains of the 75 million year old monster found in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah, scientists believe that the duck-billed dinosaur was approximately 30 ft long, weighed several tons and had gnashers that would impress the most experienced Hollywood dentist.

They have named it Gryposaurus monumentensis: Gryposaurus means “hook-beaked lizard” and monumentensis honours the monument where the fossils were found.

The business-end of its lower jaws measured two feet and carried 40 rows of teeth.

At any given time, the dinosaur had over 300 teeth available for chomping and numerous replacement teeth waiting as back up, so in all this duck-bill may have carried more than 800 teeth.

It was one of the most robust duck-billed dinosaurs ever,” said museum palaeontologist Terry Gates of the Utah Museum of Natural History.

Source: Telegraph
Tags: Dinosaur | Gryposaurus Monumentensis | Fossil

Labels: Paleontology

Posted by Spluch on 03 October, 2007 at 20:25 | Permalink |