In Depth A close relative of the better known ceratopsian dinosaur Leptoceratops, Prenoceratops can be told apart by the skull which has a greater slope to the skull than that seen in Leptoceratops. Further Reading - Description of Prenoceratops pieganensis gen et sp. nov. (Dinosauria: Neoceratopsia) from the Two Medicine Formation of Montana. - Journal … Read more
In Depth Even though it did not have the elaborate horns of some ceratopsians like Einiosaurus, Pachyrhinosaurus has become a favourite amongst ceratopsian dinosaur enthusiasts because of the large bony growth called a boss that is present on top of its snout. A second smaller boss was also present over the eyes and is sometimes … Read more
In Depth The holotype specimen of Spinops was first discovered in 1916 by Charles H. and Levi Sternberg. However when the material was sent to the London Natural History Museum (the institution that financed the dig) the keeper of Geology, one Arthur Smith Woodward (today best remembered for declaring the ‘Piltdown Man’ as a genuine … Read more
In Depth The key thing about Judiceratops is that at the time of its description it appears to be the oldest known chasmosaurine ceratopsian dinosaur. Unfortunately only an incomplete skull is known for the genus, so figures on size and a confirmed arrangement of horns and neck frill are a little tricky to establish. Judiceratops … Read more
In Depth Ferrisaurus is a genus of leptoceratopsian dinosaur that lived in Canada towards the end of the Cretaceous period. Further Reading - A new leptoceratopsid dinosaur from Maastrichtian-aged deposits of the Sustut Basin, northern British Columbia, Canada. - PeerJ. - Victoria Arbour & David Evans - 2019.
In Depth Initially thought to represent a large Pentaceratops individual, Titanoceratops was declared its own genera after further study found the material to belong to a new, although still very similar, ceratopsian dinosaur. The large size of Titanoceratops was the inspiration for the new genera name, with the species name T. ouranos derived from the … Read more
In Depth Gryphoceratops is something of an enigma since while it seems to be one of the oldest leptoceratopsids it also appears to have been one of the most advanced. Additionally while the type specimen is only that of a right lower jaw, Gryphoceratops may actually be the smallest leptoceratopsid. Another leptoceratopsid called Unescoceratops was … Read more
In Depth Coahuilaceratops attained overnight fame amongst the ceratopsian dinosaurs because it is thought to have the longest brow horns of any within the group. Although no single complete horn has yet been found, palaeontologists studying Coahuilaceratops spent a lot of careful time and effort comparing the available material to other similar chasmosaurine ceratopsians to … Read more
In Depth Zhuchengceratops was on the larger average size for known leptoceratopsid dinosaurs, and one of the most impressive features were the mandibles (lower jaw bones), which at fifty centimetres long and eighteen centimetres deep at the mid-point, were simply huge for a dinosaur of this size. These mandibles were about one and a half … Read more
In Depth Achelousaurus may represent something of a transition as even though it has two distinct horns that rise from the top of its neck frill like in Einiosaurus, it has a large nasal boss as seen in Pachyrhinosaurus. This is why Achelousaurus has been considered a transitional form that links these two ceratopsian dinosaurs … Read more