That guy was huge! Even though it had a similar size to the Triceratops, its skull was with a length of up to 2.65 m (8.7 ft), one of the longest skulls a land animal ever had. In addition, on its head, it had two big horns and one smaller horn between them. Opinion has varied on the validity of a separate genus for Nedoceratops. Scannella and Horner regarded it as an intermediate growth stage between Triceratops and Torosaurus. [29] [91] Farke, in his 2011 redescription of the only known skull, concluded that it was an aged individual of its own valid taxon, Nedoceratops hatcheri. [88] Longrich and Fields also did not consider it a transition between Torosaurus and Triceratops, suggesting that the frill holes were pathological. [90]

Marsh, O.C. (1888). "A new family of horned Dinosauria, from the Cretaceous". American Journal of Science. 36 (216): 477–478. Bibcode: 1888AmJS...36..477M. doi: 10.2475/ajs.s3-36.216.477. S2CID 130243398. Archived from the original on February 18, 2020 . Retrieved October 19, 2021. Skull of specimen DMNH 48617 from the Laramie Formation of eastern Colorado. Based on the age of the formation, it may be the oldest Triceratops known.

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These dinosaurs draw attention from the media with their long horns and distinctive appearance. Despite this, most people know next to nothing about these reptiles! Learn more about Triceratops below. Sternberg, C. H. (1917). Hunting Dinosaurs in the Badlands of the Red Deer River, Alberta, Canada. San Diego, California. p.261. {{ cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher ( link) Dodson, P.; Currie, P. J. (1990). "Neoceratopsia". In Weishampel, D. B.; Dodson, P.; Osmólska, H. (eds.). The Dinosauria. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp.593–618. ISBN 978-0-520-06727-1. Triceratops was traditionally placed within the "short-frilled" ceratopsids, but modern cladistic studies show it to be a member of Chasmosaurinae, which usually have long frills. Two species, T.horridus and T.prorsus, are considered valid today. Seventeen different species, however, have been named throughout history. Research published in 2010 concluded that the contemporaneous Torosaurus, a ceratopsid long regarded as a separate genus, represents Triceratops in its mature form. This view has still been highly disputed and much more data is needed to settle this ongoing debate. Holtz, Thomas R. Jr. (2012). Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages (PDF). Winter 2011 Appendix

The lower jaws were elongated and met at their tips in a shared epidentary bone, the core of the toothless lower beak. In the dentary bone, the tooth battery curved to the outside to meet the battery of the upper jaw. At the rear of the lower jaw, the articular bone was exceptionally wide, matching the general width of the jaw joint. [31] T.horridus can be distinguished from T.prorsus by having a shallower snout. [25] Postcranial skeleton [ edit ] Closeup of pelvis of Triceratops specimen at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History Derstler, K. (1994). "Dinosaurs of the Lance Formation in eastern Wyoming". In Nelson, G. E. (ed.). The Dinosaurs of Wyoming. Wyoming Geological Association Guidebook, 44th Annual Field Conference. Wyoming Geological Association. pp.127–146. a b Wilson, G. P. (2013). "Mammals across the K/Pg boundary in northeastern Montana, U.S.A.: Dental morphology and body-size patterns reveal extinction selectivity and immigrant-fueled ecospace filling". Paleobiology. 39 (3): 429–469. Bibcode: 2013Pbio...39..429W. doi: 10.1666/12041. S2CID 36025237. Coe, M. J.; Dilcher, D. L.; Farlow, J. O.; Jarzen, D. M.; Russell, D. A. (1987). "Dinosaurs and land plants". In Friis, E. M.; Chaloner, W. G.; Crane, P. R. (eds.). The Origins of Angiosperms and their Biological Consequences. Cambridge University Press. pp.225–258. ISBN 978-0-521-32357-4. What is special about the Triceratops?". Dinosaurios.org. July 24, 2013. Archived from the original on May 31, 2020 . Retrieved December 26, 2013.Lehman, T. M. (1998). "A gigantic skull and skeleton of the horned dinosaur Pentaceratops sternbergi from New Mexico". Journal of Paleontology. 72 (5): 894–906. Bibcode: 1998JPal...72..894L. doi: 10.1017/S0022336000027220. JSTOR 1306666. S2CID 132807103. They would probably have similar dietary needs as well, but with vegetation more closely related to the plants they fed on 68 million years ago. Of course, this is all speculation, as these creatures could not be kept in any zoological institution today because they are extinct. Behavior of the Triceratops

Norman, David (1985). The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Dinosaurs. London: Salamander Books. ISBN 978-0-517-46890-6. Marsh, O.C. (1889b). "Notice of gigantic horned Dinosauria from the Cretaceous". American Journal of Science. 38 (224): 173–175. Bibcode: 1889AmJS...38..173M. doi: 10.2475/ajs.s3-38.224.173. S2CID 131187857. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018 . Retrieved October 19, 2021.Bearing a large bony frill, three horns on the skull, and a large, four-legged body, exhibiting convergent evolution with bovines and rhinoceroses, Triceratops is one of the most recognizable of all dinosaurs and the best-known ceratopsian. It was also one of the largest, up to 8–9 metres (26–30ft) long and 5–9 metric tons (5.5–9.9 short tons) in body mass. It shared the landscape with and was most likely preyed upon by Tyrannosaurus, though it is less certain that two adults would battle in the fanciful manner often depicted in museum displays and popular media. The functions of the frills and three distinctive facial horns on its head have inspired countless debates. Traditionally, these have been viewed as defensive weapons against predators. More recent interpretations find it probable that these features were primarily used in species identification, courtship, and dominance display, much like the antlers and horns of modern ungulates. These distinct creatures never interacted with humans in any way while they were alive. Humans have discovered fossils, and been inspired by these dinosaur’s unique appearance. We have even included Triceratops in a number of different movies, video games, and novels. Domestication

a b c d e f g h i Weishampel, D.B.; Dodson, Peter; Osmólska, H. (2004). The Dinosauria (Seconded.). Berkeley: University of California Press. p.861. ISBN 978-0-520-24209-8. Analysis of the endocranial anatomy of Triceratops suggest its sense of smell was poor compared to that of other dinosaurs. Its ears were attuned to low frequency sounds, given the short cochlear lengths recorded in an analysis by Sakagami et al,. This same study also suggests that Triceratops held its head about 45 degrees to the ground, an angle which would showcase the horns and frill most effectively that simultaneously allowed the animal to take advantage of food through grazing. [57] However, some other paleontologists contest this single-genus idea. In a 2012 PLOS ONE article, for instance, researchers presented evidence of Torosaurus bones that are not fully fused, suggesting the specimen is still immature (and, therefore, not a fully mature Triceratops). They further suggested the frill holes of Nedoceratops are pathological (related to a disease or health issue). It was not only an adorable dinosaur but also very well protected against predators, which made it easier for him to walk around in herds without having to fear that much about what he would encounter.

Interesting Facts About the Triceratops

There are many games involving these majestic creatures. Common dinosaur games center around the most predatory dinosaurs.