Anchiceratops | Facts & Information

The dinosaur Anchiceratops impresses not so much with its very sharp horns above the head, but especially with the huge shield, which also appears in the dinosaur Chasmosaurus that lived in the same period at the end of the Creataceous, in the Mesozoic era.

Its fossil remains were discovered in Alberta (Canada) by American paleontologist Barnum Brawn in 1914. He made a description of the species and named it Anchiceratops ornatus. He also estimated the length of an adult specimen to be about 5-6 m, height 2 m and weight 1.8 tons.

This prehistoric animal had three very sharp horns, two larger, curved forward, positioned above the eyes and one small, facing upwards, located just above the nose.

On the back of the head he wore a large ornament – a shield provided on the edges with a series of sharp barbs, two of which were directed forward and located in the middle of the hind side. The weight of the shield was significantly diminished by the large orifices covered with thick, scaly skin.

These herbivorous dinosaurs lived in herds, and their horns were a sign of recognition of the species. The long and powerful snout ends with a sharp-edged beak, which was used to pluck the bundles of plants from the ground, which were then chewed with the masses of the two jaws, which closed like two scissor blades.

The body of an adult Anchiceratops was heavy and compact, supported by its four strong limbs, terminated with robust paws and hoofed claws. The hind limbs were larger than the forelimbs, and the tail helped maintain balance during quadrupedal walking.

The fact that the fossil remains were discovered in delta sediments, covered with layers of coal, suggests that this prehistoric creature lived in humid environments, in areas with swamps, and its food was made up of abundant vegetation.

Feeding Anchiceratops

This dinosaur fed on plants at ground level because its head was kept bent because of the huge shield resting on its long, thick neck.