Knowra Ceratopsidae Ceratopsidae Ceratopsidae is a family of mostly large, quadrupedal ceratopsian dinosaurs with beaked jaws and elaborate skull frills; it includes Triceratops and its relatives.
Ceratopsia : Ceratopsia is the dinosaur group that includes horned, beaked species such as Triceratops and Psittacosaurus. Ceratopsidae is the large-bodied, frilled branch within this broader dinosaur group.
Triceratops : A large, three-horned ceratopsid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of western North America. It is the best-known member and a defining example of Ceratopsidae.
Ceratopsid horn growth : The development and changing shape of facial horns in ceratopsid dinosaurs as they grew. Growth patterns help distinguish age-related changes from differences between species.
Late Cretaceous : The final geological epoch of the Cretaceous Period, spanning about 100.5 to 66 million years ago. Most familiar ceratopsids lived during this interval before the end-Cretaceous extinction.
Ceratopsian skull : The distinctive skull structure of ceratopsian dinosaurs, combining a beak, tooth-bearing jaws, and often a frill. Its frill and facial ornamentation provide the family’s most recognizable anatomical features.
Centrosaurus : A centrosaurine ceratopsid dinosaur known from Late Cretaceous rocks in western Canada. Its short frill and prominent nasal horn contrast with many chasmosaurine skulls.
Ceratopsid frill growth : The development of the bony frill at the back of a ceratopsid skull. Frill changes through growth complicate comparisons among fossils of different ages.
Judith River Formation : A Late Cretaceous geological formation in Montana, famous for its dinosaur fossils. Its deposits preserve several ceratopsid genera and evidence of their ancient ecosystems.
Parietal bone : A skull bone forming much of the upper rear skull and, in ceratopsids, much of the frill. The parietal contributes to the broad frill that distinguishes many ceratopsid skulls.
Chasmosaurus : A chasmosaurine ceratopsid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of western North America. Its long, fenestrated frill illustrates a major ceratopsid skull design.
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