New Ceratopsid Species - Regaliceratops
Published:
A new species of ceratopsid, named Regaliceratops (meaning "royal horned face"), has been published in an American science journal.
The back of its head frill is lined with large, crown-like triangular ornaments.
It lived in North America at the end of the Cretaceous period.
Like Triceratops, it had three horns on its face, but the horns above its eyes were too short to have served a defensive role. It is theorized that they were used for display to attract mates.
A chasmosaurine ceratopsid dinosaur.
The Chasmosaurinae subfamily of the Ceratopsidae family, to which Regaliceratops belongs, includes members with distinctive skulls and frills.
Pentaceratops had five horns on its head, and its frill had a distinctive shape with an opening in the center rear. Kosmoceratops had 15 horns on its skull, ten of which were found bent back over the rear of the frill. It is anticipated that new species of Chasmosaurinae with bizarre skulls will continue to be discovered.
Source - National Geographic News