What is chrichtonsaurus?

Chrichtonsaurus is a genus of small, herbivorous dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, around 75 million years ago. It was first discovered in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia in 1993 and was named after science fiction writer Michael Crichton. The dinosaur was about 13 feet (4 meters) long and weighed around 1,800 pounds (820 kg). It was a member of the ornithischian family, which included other horned dinosaurs such as Triceratops and Styracosaurus. Like these other horned dinosaurs, Chrichtonsaurus had a bony frill or shield on its skull, as well as small horns above its eyes. Its teeth were specialized for grinding tough vegetation. The discovery of Chrichtonsaurus has helped researchers better understand the diversity of horned dinosaurs that lived during the Late Cretaceous period.