What were you like when you were alive?

What does Protoceratops mean?

How did you become a fossil?

How did you get to New York City?

What do you do at the Museum?

Do you have any secrets to share?

Deena the interviewer with a microphone asking the question to Protoceratops, "What Were You Like When You Were Alive?"
Deena the interviewer with a microphone asking the question to Protoceratops, "What Were You Like When You Were Alive?"
A partially excavated Protoceratops fossil skeleton, still mostly underneath the dirt.

DEENA: You look fabulous. How old are you?

PROTO ANDY: I'm about 80 -

DEENA: (interrupting) 80? That's not very old for a dinosaur. My grandmother is 95, so what's the big —

PROTO ANDY: (interrupting back) I wasn't finished. I'm 80 million years old. But I feel like I'm only 10 million. It's all in your attitude, Deena.

A full, mounted Protoceratops fossil skeleton with a long tail.

DEENA: What did you look like when you were alive?

PROTO ANDY: I've heard the scientists say that 80 million years ago I used to be the size of a very large pig and might have weighed as much as 500 pounds.

A Protoceratops fossil skeleton pictured from behind depicting the four legs and stomach.

DEENA: Were you fast on your feet?

PROTO ANDY: No one knows. Paleontologists haven't found any Protoceratops footprints yet. However, Protoceratops were a lot slower than some carnivores that ate us for lunch because we have such short legs.

DEENA: How do scientists guess an extinct dinosaur's speed?

PROTO ANDY: Sometimes scientists can estimate a dinosaur's speed by comparing its fossilized legs with the legs of similar animals that are alive and running.

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