Basic
Ceratopsian Info
Centrosaurus
Centrosaurus was a medium-sized (20 feet long) Ceratopsian from the late Cretaceous of North America. It had a nose horn, but unlike the more famous Triceratops (below), it did not have brow horns. Centrosaurus did, however, have two small horns projecting downwards from the top of its frill.
Einiosaurus
Einiosaurus was a unique Ceratopsian from the late Cretaceous of North America. At about 20 feet long, its nose horn curved sharply forward and it had two horns stemming from the rear of its short frill.
Pachyrhinosaurus
At about 26 feet long, Pachyrhinosaurus was one of the stranger Ceratopsians. Unlike more famous Ceratopsians, it had a large, flattened platform on its nose, as opposed to a horn. Some speculate a large assortment of various horns were anchored to this flat area, while others assume it was used as a base for shoving matches.
Psittacosaurus
Psittacosaurus was a small (averaging less than 7 feet long), early ancestor of later Ceratpsians. It lived in the early Creataceous of Asia. With no pronounced horns or frills, Psittacosaurus was also closely related to Hadrosaurs. It was a bipedal dinosaur, unlike later Ceratopsians. A strange feature of Psittacosaurus was the “quills” that ran along its backside.
Styracosaurus
Styracosaurs was another Centrosaurine Ceratopsian from the North American Cretaceous. It measured in at about 18 feet long and 6 feet tall. Styracosaurus is known for having several spikes lining its frill and the single horn on its nose.
Triceratops and Torosaurus
The most famous Ceratopsian of all time, Triceratops lived during the late Cretaceous in North America. With a length of 30 feet, it had the largest skull of any land animal…ever. Triceratops was characterized by its large frill and its three horns, from which its name derives.
Once thought to be a separate genus due to a difference in skull shape, Torosaurus is now known to be a fully mature Triceratops. As it turns out, dinosaur bone changes shape with age (mammal bone does, too, but to a lesser extent), leading to the confusion of Triceratops vs Torosaurus.
Centrosaurus
Centrosaurus was a medium-sized (20 feet long) Ceratopsian from the late Cretaceous of North America. It had a nose horn, but unlike the more famous Triceratops (below), it did not have brow horns. Centrosaurus did, however, have two small horns projecting downwards from the top of its frill.
Einiosaurus
Einiosaurus was a unique Ceratopsian from the late Cretaceous of North America. At about 20 feet long, its nose horn curved sharply forward and it had two horns stemming from the rear of its short frill.
Pachyrhinosaurus
At about 26 feet long, Pachyrhinosaurus was one of the stranger Ceratopsians. Unlike more famous Ceratopsians, it had a large, flattened platform on its nose, as opposed to a horn. Some speculate a large assortment of various horns were anchored to this flat area, while others assume it was used as a base for shoving matches.
Psittacosaurus
Psittacosaurus was a small (averaging less than 7 feet long), early ancestor of later Ceratpsians. It lived in the early Creataceous of Asia. With no pronounced horns or frills, Psittacosaurus was also closely related to Hadrosaurs. It was a bipedal dinosaur, unlike later Ceratopsians. A strange feature of Psittacosaurus was the “quills” that ran along its backside.
Styracosaurus
Styracosaurs was another Centrosaurine Ceratopsian from the North American Cretaceous. It measured in at about 18 feet long and 6 feet tall. Styracosaurus is known for having several spikes lining its frill and the single horn on its nose.
Triceratops and Torosaurus
The most famous Ceratopsian of all time, Triceratops lived during the late Cretaceous in North America. With a length of 30 feet, it had the largest skull of any land animal…ever. Triceratops was characterized by its large frill and its three horns, from which its name derives.
Once thought to be a separate genus due to a difference in skull shape, Torosaurus is now known to be a fully mature Triceratops. As it turns out, dinosaur bone changes shape with age (mammal bone does, too, but to a lesser extent), leading to the confusion of Triceratops vs Torosaurus.
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text, photos, and website Copyright Nick Pfannenstiel
2010 paleo-nick@nicksfossils.com
