GC34T3E Muell-Young Dinosaur Train Geocache: Maiasaura (Traditional Cache) in Arizona, United States created by we_r

This cache has been archived.

GeoDesertTiger: I'm archiving it to keep it from continually showing up in search lists, and to prevent it from blocking other cache placements. We will be happy to un-archive this cache when it is replaced (within 90 days/September 08, 2012) and meets the guidelines.

[b]Knowledge Book[/b] http://support.groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.book&id=1
[b]Guidelines[/b] http://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx

GC34T3E ▼

A cache by we_r_hooked Message this owner

Hidden : 9/25/2011

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:

Muell-Young Family Dinosaur Train Geocache: Maiasaura

Maiasaura (from the Greek word, meaning "caring mother lizard") is a large duck-billed dinosaur genus that lived in the area currently covered by the state of Montana in the Upper Cretaceous Period, about 74 million years ago.

Maiasaura was large, attaining an adult length of about 30 ft and had the typical hadrosaurid flat beak and a thick nose. It had a small, spiky crest in front of its eyes. The crest may have been used in head butting contests between males during the breeding season.

This dinosaur was herbivorous (plant eater). It walked both on two or four legs and appeared to have no defense against predators, except, perhaps, its heavy muscular tail and its herd type behavior. These herds were extremely large and could have comprised as many as 10,000 individuals. Maiasaura lived in an inland habitat.

Maiasaura lived in herds and it raised its young in nesting colonies. The nests in the colonies were packed closely together, like those of modern seabirds, with the gap between the nests being around 23 ft; less than the length of the adult animal. The nests were made of earth and contained 30 to 40 eggs laid in a circular or spiral pattern. The eggs were about the size of ostrich eggs.

The eggs were incubated by the heat resulting from rotting vegetation placed into the nest by the parents, rather than a parent sitting on the nest. Upon hatching, fossils of baby Maiasaura show that their legs were not fully developed and thus they were incapable of walking. Fossils also show that their teeth were partly worn, which means that the adults brought food to the nest.

The hatchlings grew from a size of 16 to 58 inches long in the span of their first year. At this point, or perhaps after another year, the animal left the nest. This high rate of growth may be evidence of warm bloodedness. The hatchlings had different facial proportions from the adults, with larger eyes and a shorter snout. These features are associated with cuteness and are common among animals that are dependent on their parents for survival during the early stages of life.

1. In what period did the Maiasaura live?
2. What could baby Maiasaura dinosaurs not do when they were born?
3. About how long was an adult Maiasaura dinosaur?
4. In what present day state did the Maiasaura live?
5. Maiasaura raised its young in nesting __________.
6. What did the face of the Maiasaura look like?
7. Maiasaura lived in _________.
8. What does Maiasaura mean?
9. How many millions of years ago did the Maiasaura live?
10. What does herbivorous mean?

There is also a Tyrannosaurus rex, one of the largest land carnivores of all time on the property so take time to enjoy this dinosaur and also complete the Tucson T-Rex Challenge (CX1571) while you are at this location.

Train Geocaching.com URL: http://www.geocaching.com/dinosaurtrain
Please sign the cache log and take a picture to post with your log on www.geocaching.com if you can.

Congrats to Raven Art Studio

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Qhr gb gur trbpnpur ybpngvba, guvf pbagnvare vf n anab.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)

This cache has been archived.

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Muell-Young Dinosaur Train Geocache: Maiasaura Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

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