Styracosaurus
sty-RACK-oh-SAWR-us
Measuring 5.1m in length and weighing almost 2 tons, Styracosaurus is a large herbivorous dinosaur that lived in the Cretaceous period. Styracosaurus is from the ceratopsian family of dinosaurs, with a single horn protruding from its snout and a large neck frill featuring lengthy spines that give it its name, which translates into ‘Spiked Lizard’.
Discovery
Styracosaurus fossils were first discovered in 1913 by C.M. Sternberg in Alberta, Canada, on a site that is now known as the Dinosaur Park formation. Further remains, including a nearly complete skeleton, were found close to the location of the original discovery by Barnum Brown two years later.
Palaeoecology
Experts believe that Styracosaurus lived in groups on the coastal rivers and floodplains of what is now Canada, around 70-75 million years ago. This dinosaur was one of many genera to roam the area, along with Centrosaurus, Parasaurolophus and Gorgosaurus.
Information
- Era
- Late Cretaceous
- Family
- Ceratopsidae
- Genus
- Styracosaurus
- Height
- 1.5M
- Length
- 5.1M
- Weight
- 1.8T
- Diet
- Ground Paleobotany
- Egg batch size
- 2 - 4
