What environment did the Protoceratops live in?
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.
What does a Protoceratops look like?
Protoceratops was an herbivore from Mongolia. The name comes from the Greek language ‘proto- meaning “first,” and ‘-certaops,’ meaning horn face. It looks like a mini version of Triceratops, with the same distinctive frill on its face.
When and where did the Protoceratops live?
It lived in the Cretaceous period and inhabited Asia. Its fossils have been found in places such as Gansu (China), Bayankhongor (Mongolia) and Inner Mongolia (China). Quick facts about Protoceratops: Existed from 145 million years ago to 66 million years ago.
How big is a Protoceratops?
2 ft.Protoceratops / Height (At Shoulder)
Did Protoceratops live in desert?
Protoceratops had a powerful bite; it cropped low vegetation with its beak. With the discovery of so many skeletons, scientists concluded that Protoceratops lived in herds. A surprise for paleontologists was the discovery that these dinosaurs lived in the desert. The eggs were laid in shallow holes in the sand.
Did Protoceratops have quills?
The short answer is no. There IS direct evidence for bristles on Psittacosaurus lujiatunensis , but that in no way means that quills are found in the more derived clades of marginocephalians.
Why did Protoceratops go extinct?
Apparently they were fighting near the base of a sand dune and their struggle cased a small landslide that buried them both, trapping them in that position for 70 million years! There are lots of other fun facts about Protoceratops that might help you come up with a great name for our dinosaur.
Does a Protoceratops have a horn?
Protoceratops andrewsi is a fairly small and primitive ceratopsian, or horned dinosaur. Although it lacked the horns of later species, Protoceratops had a distinct bump above its nostrils and thickened bone over its eye sockets.
What food did Protoceratops eat?
plants
They were herbivores and would have eaten cretaceous plants. Their strong jaws would have helped them chew their food.
Did Protoceratops have horns?
What is the smallest Protoceratops?
Protoceratopsids were small ceratopsians around 1-2.5 m in length. Their bony frill and horns were much smaller than more derived members of Ceratopsia, such as ceratopsids….Protoceratopsidae.
| Protoceratopsids Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Order: | †Ornithischia |
What did a Protoceratops eat?
Protoceratops was a small dinosaur that walked on all four legs and ate plants.