Chasmosaurus
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The herbivore Chasmosaurus is a genus of ceratopsid dinosaur with a similar appearance to Triceratops, although it is significantly smaller than its more well-known relative. Chasmosaurus weighs around one and a half tons and spans approximately 7.5m in length and is notable for the three horns on its face and large frill on its neck.
Discovery
Chasmosaurus was discovered in 1898 by Canadian paleontologist Lawrence Morris Lambe, who excavated part of the dinosaur’s neck frill from Berry Creek, California. It was initially classified as a genus of Monoclonius, but later findings confirmed it was a new discovery. Further remains have been found in the intervening years, allowing experts to define new species within the Chasmosaurus genus.
Palaeoecology
Chasmosaurus lived in Canada during the Late Cretaceous period, around 75m years ago, and existed alongside numerous other dinosaurs including Centrosaurus and the infamous Tyrannosaur rex. It used its powerful, durable beak to tear plants out of the ground, while its tough skin protected it from predators.
Information
- Era
- Late Cretaceous
- Family
- Ceratopsidae
- Genus
- Chasmosaurus
- Height
- 3.8M
- Length
- 7.5M
- Weight
- 1.5T
- Diet
- Ground Paleobotany
- Egg batch size
- 2 - 5
