Protoceratops Facts

Protoceratops was a cerotopsian dinosaur (related to dinosaurs such Styracosaurus and Triceratops) that lived in the late Cretaceous period, in the middle of 85 million and 80 million years ago. Like its relatives, Protoceratops was a herbivore (plant eater).

Protoceratops was generally about six and half feet (2 meters) long, although some adults grew larger, perhaps as long as 9 feet (2.7 meters). generally speaking, Protoceratops was quadrapedal (walked on four legs), although it is likely that the animal may have been able to stand up on its hind legs (its hind legs are longer than its front legs). Protoceratops is recognizable by its bony neck frill, and beak-like jaws which would have been able to munch straight through tough vegetative matter. Unlike many other Cerotopsian dinosaurs, Protoceratops did not have horns on its snout or neck frill. It did any way had have a bony knob on its snout.

News From Mongolia

Two species of Protoceratops are currently known: Protoceratops andrewsi and Protoceratops hellenikorhinus. Fossils of these animals have been found in Mongolia. Some scholars, such as Adrienne Mayor of Stanford, have conjectured that early finds of these fossils may have inspired the legend of the griffin (a mythical beast with the head and wings of an eagle, but the body and limbs of a lion). The theory goes that fossils inspired legends among the Saka-Scythian nomadic people, and these citizen in turn passed their legends on to the antique Greeks and Romans.

One other engaging fact about Protoceratops is that it is the first dinosaur for which fossilized nests were found. Protoceratops dug its nest in sand, and laid its eggs, each egg being about 8 inches (20 centimeters) long, in spirals within the nest.

Protoceratops Facts

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