Distinctly Montana Magazine

22 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 3 - 2 4 powerhouse of the pre-historic prairie is similar in size and weight to a modern bison, and lived in a similar semi-arid environment. With their intimidating spiky frills, herd in- stinct, grumpy disposition and long horns, most predators left Einiosaurus alone. Speaking of horns, you can't help but notice Einiosaurus' for- ward-curving horn. It probably didn't offer much by way of defense, but was likely more useful for rooting out nutritious plants. While much of Montana's Cretaceous-peri- od landscape was covered in the lush forests we usually imagine as a dinosaur oasis, Einiosau- rus roamed out on plains eating thick fern-like plants. Back then, as today, living in the badlands of Montana can be a challenge for survival. Wa- ter can be scarce. Or, arguably worse, you can have too much. Way, way too much—a deluge. In 1986, paleontologists from Bozeman's Mu- seum of the Rockies discovered the fossilized bones of at least 15 Einiosaurus individuals in one bed. That many individuals dying together in a group not only confirms they lived in herds, but also suggests that they were either caught in a terrible flash flood, drowned trying to cross a river, or slowly got mired in sticky mud as their favorite watering hole dried up. On the one hand, who can imagine these pre- historic lizard creatures roaming our land and not want to see what it was like when they owned Montana? At least in the case of Einosaurus, see- ing a herd of bison dotting the roadside in Yel- lowstone means you're most of the way to imag- ining what it would have been like. But then, that thought begs a question: how many tourists would try to take a selfie with the one-ton bison lizards, or pet their adorable, scaled heads? EINIOSAURUS AMERICAN BISON

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