Talk:Tetraceratops

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Name

Is it necessary to have the species name in the title? Most articles usually include the genus name only, the species name being included in the article. Would a move be in order? - 64.237.240.19 21:20, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

No, because this is a monotypic genus. Unless or until scientists describe a second species of Tetraceratops, the article is fine as it is.--Mr Fink 02:37, 26 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Wikiproject Dinosaurs has a policy of only creating articles down to genus level, because so many dinosaur genera are monotypic and distinction between species is often vague or of little overall importance. This article probably falls under WP:Amphibians and Reptiles, I don't think they have such a policy... I personally prefer genus-name only, especially for prehistoric species where the genus name often doubles as the common name, helping these articles line up with the wiki policy that article itles should reflect common names where possible. Dinoguy2 03:23, 26 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Sail

The Texas fossil included only cranial material; no body bones were found. So, Tetraceratops may have had a Dimetrodon-like sail along its back. 66.235.38.214 (talk) 11:54, 22 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Given as how only a very few pelycosaurs have sails, and that Tetraceratops' identity as a pelycosaur is, at the best, questionable, the suggestion that Tetraceratops may have had a Dimetrodon-like sail is totally without warrant, and is original research. That, and the talkpage is for discussing how to improve the page, not to speculate or gossip about the topic.--Mr Fink (talk) 12:53, 22 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Given its proposed phylogenetic position, parsimony even suggests that it lacked a sail. This is not only true under the position that I advocate (as the first therapsid), but also under its first (though certainly erroneous) proposed position. For a sail to be likely present, it would have to fit within Sphenacodontidae, close to Dimetrodon (Sphenacodon, a more basal taxon, had much shorter neural spines). Michel Laurin (talk) 05:50, 27 September 2016 (UTC)[reply]