NormalProtoceratops
Protoceratops andrewsi
PRO-toh-SERRA-tops· “first horned face”
🕰️ Cretaceous🌿 herbivore🦴 Protoceratopsidae
2.5 m
Length
0.8 m
Height
180 kg
Weight
A sheep-sized early relative of Triceratops with a bony frill but no big horns. Whole herds, nests and even eggs were found preserved in Mongolia's Gobi Desert sands.
When
Late Cretaceous, ~75–71 million years ago
Found in
Mongolia
Discovered
Roy Chapman Andrews expedition, 1923
Did you know?
- Its skeletons may have inspired the legend of the griffin.
- A famous fossil shows one frozen mid-fight with a Velociraptor.
- Dozens were found in every size from hatchling to adult.
Artwork: TotalDino, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.