Triceratop fossils

Triceratops

Triceratops is an extinct genus of herbivorous ceratopsid dinosaur that lived during the late Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous Period in what is now North America. It was one of the last dinosaur genera to appear before the great Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event. Bearing a large bony frill and three horns on its large four-legged body, and conjuring similarities with the modern rhinoceras, Triceratops is one of the most recognizable of all dinosaurs. The name Triceratops, which literally means "three-horned face", is derived from the Greek tri- meaning "three", ceras meaning "horn", and -ops meaning "face". Though it shared the landscape with and was preyed by the fearsome Tyrannosaurus, it is unclear whether the two battled the way they are commonly depicted in movies.

Although no complete dinosaur skeletons have been found, Triceratops is well-known from numerous partial dinosaur skeletons collected since the introduction of the genus in 1887. The function of their frills and three distinctive facial horns has long inspired debate. Although traditionally viewed as defensive weapons against predators, the latest theories claim that it is more probable that these features were used in courtship and dominance displays, much like the antlers and horns of modern reindeer, mountain goats.

Triceratops is the best-known of the ceratopsids, though the genus's exact placement within the group has been a point of contention amongst paleontologists. Two species, T. horridus and T. prorsus, are considered valid, although many other species have been named.

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