What type of dinosaur is a Protoceratops?
ceratopsian dinosaur
Protoceratops, (genus Protoceratops), ceratopsian dinosaur found as fossils in the Gobi Desert from 80-million-year-old deposits of the Late Cretaceous Period. Protoceratops was a predecessor of the more familiar horned dinosaurs such as Triceratops.
Did the Protoceratops have sharp teeth?
Protoceratops was only about 6 feet long 2 feet tall and weighed between 350 and 400 pounds. Don’t let its size fool you, it had very strong jaws, teeth and a sharp beak that would probably do some damage. Alas, Protoceratops was a plant-eater and that fearsome beak was only used to chomp the yummiest vegetation.
Did Protoceratops have cheeks?
Protoceratops was a quadrupedal dinosaur that was partially characterized by its distinctive neck frill at the back of its skull. The frill itself contained two large parietal fenestrae (holes in the frill), while its cheeks had large jugal bones.
Did Protoceratops have a beak?
Like Protoceratops, all of these creatures were quadrupeds (walked of four legs), ate plants, and had beaks, neck frills and horns; but most were much larger (up to 30 feet long and weighting as much as 9 tons!) and had much more developed horns, so in a sense, Protoceratops was sort of the runt of the family!
What does the name Protoceratops mean?
First Horned Face
Protoceratops, (its name meaning ‘First Horned Face’ derived from the Greek proto-/πρωτο- meaning ‘first’, cerat-/κερατ- meaning ‘horn’ and -ops/-ωψ meaning face) was a sheep-sized (1.5 to 2m long) herbivorous ceratopsian dinosaur, from the Upper Cretaceous Period of what is now Mongolia.
Did ornithischians chew?
Large, herbivorous ornithischians had their own, unique anatomical solution to chewing on plants all day, further evidence that life, uh, finds a way.
How did the Protoceratops defend itself?
A distinctive feature of Protoceratops is its bony neck frill, which may have been used by Protoceratops to defend itself against predators. Or this feature may have helped Protoceratops attract a mate or scare off challengers of the same species, much as a deer uses its antlers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U0zYfDpZpE