#strawberryceratops

[alphynix]

Ceratopsian Month #12 -- Albertaceratops nesmoi

As its name suggests, Albertaceratops (“Alberta horned face”) was discovered in Alberta, Canada. Living around 77 million years ago, it’s known from an almost complete skull and would have had an estimated full body length of about 5.8m (19′).

It had fairly long brow horns and a boss-like nasal horn, similar to the arrangement in Xenoceratops, with a pair of large curving hook-shaped spikes at the top of its frill.

Some similar fossil remains found in Montana, USA, were attributed to Albertaceratops, but later studies showed that they actually belonged to a completely different ceratopsid -- a chasmosaur eventually named as Medusaceratops.

[2018 update: Medusaceratops wasn’t actually a chasmosaur, but a centrosaur closely related to Albertaceratops!]