Protoceratops

What it was like

Protoceratops was a small, stocky plant eater with a large head, a short bony frill at the back of its skull, and a parrot-like beak. It grew to about 2 meters (6.6 feet) long. Adults likely walked on four legs, while younger animals may have been able to run on two.

It had no true horns, only a bump on its snout that varied a lot from one individual to another. Its frill probably helped anchor jaw muscles and may have been used for display between members of the same species.

Its world

Protoceratops lived from about 84 to 72 million years ago, in the Late Cretaceous, across what is now Mongolia and China. Its fossils come from several formations, including Djadokhta, Bayan Mandahu, and Baruungoyot.

It shared its desert and dune habitat with the armored Pinacosaurus, the small predator Velociraptor, the egg-laying Oviraptor, the birdlike Avimimus, and the swift Saurornithoides.

How it was found

Granger and Gregory named Protoceratops in 1923. About 33 fossil finds are known, including eggs and nests, making it one of the best-studied dinosaurs from the region. One famous find preserves a Protoceratops locked in combat with a Velociraptor, giving rare direct evidence of predator and prey interacting. It is considered a close relative of Bagaceratops.