Aquilops

Name: Aquilops ‭(‬Eagle face‭)‬.
Phonetic: Ah-kwil-ops.
Named By: A.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Farke,‭ ‬W.‭ ‬D.‭ ‬Maxwell,‭ ‬R.‭ ‬L.‭ ‬Cifelli‭ & ‬M.‭ ‬J.‭ ‬Wedel‭ ‬-‭ ‬2014.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Ornithischia,‭ ‬Ceratopsia,‭ ‬Neoceratopsia.
Species: A.‭ ‬americanus‭ (‬type‭)‬.
Diet: Herbivore.
Size: Skull‭ ‬8.42‭ ‬centimetres long.‭ ‬Body length estimated at about‭ ‬60‭ ‬centimetres long.
Known locations: USA,‭ ‬Montana‭ ‬-‭ ‬Cloverly Formation‭ [‬Unit VII Member‭]‬.
Time period: Mid Albian of the Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: Partial skull and lower jaw.




       Initially thought to represent a new specimen of Zephyrosaurus,‭ ‬the small partial skull of the holotype was soon realised to be a whole new genus of small ceratopsian dinosaur.‭ ‬Like most primitive ceratopsian dinosaurs,‭ ‬Aquilops was a fairly small dinosaur measuring just over half a meter in length.‭ ‬The name Aquilops means‭ ‘‬eagle face‭’‬,‭ ‬and this was inspired by the way that the beak curves downwards in a manner similar to an eagles.‭ ‬In eagles this hooked shape allows them to tear off strips of meat from their prey,‭ ‬but ceratopsian dinosaurs like Aquilops were almost certainly exclusive herbivores.‭ ‬For certain,‭ ‬the dentition of Aquilops matches that of known plant eating dinosaurs.‭

Further reading
-‭ ‬A ceratopsian dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of western North America,‭ ‬and the biogeography of Neoceratopsia.‭ ‬-‭ ‬PLoS ONE‭ ‬9‭(‬12‭)‬:e11205:15-18.‭ ‬-‭ ‬A.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Farke,‭ ‬W.‭ ‬D.‭ ‬Maxwell,‭ ‬R.‭ ‬L.‭ ‬Cifelli‭ & ‬M.‭ ‬J.‭ ‬Wedel‭ ‬-‭ ‬2014.



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