Styracosaurus

What it was like

Styracosaurus had a long, curved horn on its nose and a bony neck frill ringed with several long spikes. Its beak and rows of tightly packed cheek teeth were built for slicing tough plants. It grew to roughly 5.5 meters (18 feet) long and walked on four short, sturdy legs.

Scientists still debate what the horn and spiked frill were used for. They may have helped Styracosaurus recognize others of its species, attract mates, or defend itself against predators.

Its world

Styracosaurus lived from about 84 to 72 million years ago, in the Late Cretaceous, in what is now Alberta, Canada. Its fossils come from the Dinosaur Park Formation.

It shared this world with the horned Triceratops, the crested Parasaurolophus, the thick-skulled Pachycephalosaurus, the small predator Troodon, and the large hunters Gorgosaurus and Daspletosaurus.

How it was found

Lambe named Styracosaurus in 1913. About 10 fossil finds of the genus are known today, including bonebeds that suggest Styracosaurus may have lived and traveled in herds. It is considered a close relative of other horned dinosaurs such as Centrosaurus, Pachyrhinosaurus, and Triceratops.