Ceratopsians / Triceratops

Ceratopsians are the "horn face" herbivore dinosaurs that lived throughout the Cretaceous period. They are characterized by a extraordinarily large skull, large horns over the eyes or nose or both. Ceratopsians were and quadrupeds reaching a length of ~24 feet. The most famous is the Triceratops which is often depicted fighting off a hungry T-Rex dinosaur. Fossil remains include well preserved teeth, bones, frill sections, and claws. These top quality specimens were all legally collected from private lands in the northwestern US.Late Cretaceous, Hell Creek Fm. (or equivalent), 67-66 MYA.

Triceratops horridus is the large, three horned dinosaur that lived in the late Cretaceous of North America. Triceratops grew to a length of approximately 30 feet, a height of nearly 10 feet, and a weight of 26,000 lbs. This quadrupedal herbivore had beaked jaws for nipping cycads and palms, and their jaws were filled with rows of large teeth used to grind vegetation. Triceratops had large brow horns that can exceed 3 feet in length and had a large bony frill covering its neck.  The large brow horns and their strength may have offered defense from their main predator Tyrannosaurus rex. There are two species of Triceratops found in the Hell Creek formation, Triceratops horridus was the more common species. Both Triceratops horridus and Triceratops prosus would have similar teeth, claws and bones.

Today, we find fossilized Triceratops teeth, unguals (claws), horns, and non-associated bones in the Hell Creek Formation.