Ceratopsidae

Ceratopsidae is a family of ceratopsian dinosaurs including Triceratops, Centrosaurus, and Styracosaurus. All known species were quadrupedal herbivores from the Upper Cretaceous. All but one species are known from western North America, which formed the island continent of Laramidia during most of the Late Cretaceous. Ceratopsids are characterized by beaks, rows of shearing teeth in the back of the jaw, elaborate nasal horns, and a thin parietal-squamosal shelf that extends back and up into a frill. The group is divided into two subfamilies—Chasmosaurinae and Centrosaurinae. The chasmosaurines are generally characterized by long, triangular frills and well-developed brow horns. The centrosaurines had well-developed nasal horns or nasal bosses, shorter and more rectangular frills, and elaborate spines on the back of the frill.

Ceratopsidae

Kurt McKee shankar s. EvaK Jens Lallensack · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikipedia/Commons. May be a photograph of a specimen, or an artist’s reconstruction — an interpretation of a skeleton, since colour and soft tissue are almost never preserved.

On record

Recorded, not inferred
Also called
ceratopsidPBDB
Sits inside
CeratopsiaPBDB
Diet
herbivorePBDB, for Ceratopsia
Life habit
ground dwellingPBDB, for Ceratopsia
Motility
actively mobilePBDB, for Ornithischia
Environment
terrestrialPBDB, for Ceratopsia

Time the record covers

At least 17 million years on record.

The record covers at least 89.8 Mya to 72.2 Mya. No occurrence read is dated outside 100.5 Mya to 66 Mya.

Early Cretaceous — about 0 of 754 occurrencesLate Cretaceous — about 754 of 754 occurrencesLate CretaceousPaleocene — about 0 of 754 occurrences101–100 Mya — about 0.0 occurrences100–99 Mya — about 0.0 occurrences99–98 Mya — about 0.0 occurrences98–96 Mya — about 0.0 occurrences96–95 Mya — about 0.0 occurrences95–94 Mya — about 0.0 occurrences94–93 Mya — about 1 occurrence93–92 Mya — about 1 occurrence92–90 Mya — about 1 occurrence90–89 Mya — about 0.6 occurrences89–88 Mya — about 0.0 occurrences88–87 Mya — about 0.0 occurrences87–86 Mya — about 0.1 occurrences86–84 Mya — about 2 occurrences84–83 Mya — about 12 occurrences83–82 Mya — about 37 occurrences82–81 Mya — about 37 occurrences81–80 Mya — about 37 occurrences80–78 Mya — about 37 occurrences78–77 Mya — about 37 occurrences77–76 Mya — about 37 occurrences76–75 Mya — about 37 occurrences75–74 Mya — about 37 occurrences74–72 Mya — about 37 occurrences72–71 Mya — about 66 occurrences71–70 Mya — about 75 occurrences70–69 Mya — about 75 occurrences69–68 Mya — about 75 occurrences68–67 Mya — about 75 occurrences67–65 Mya — about 32 occurrences89.8 Mya72.2 Mya101.2 Mya65.3 Mya

754 occurrences of Ceratopsidae on record, most of them in the Late Cretaceous. Bar height is expected occurrences, not a count: each fossil is spread across the span it is dated to, so a tall narrow bar means tight dating and a low wide one means loose.

When

754 occurrences

These are dates about fossils, not the animal: the record can only begin after it arose and end before it died out, so either end may reach further. Shares are expected occurrences: a fossil dated to a span is counted partly in each period it straddles. More on what this infers.

Found in

57 formations

Hell Creek — 47.68°N, 106.43°WHell Creek — 46.47°N, 104.02°WHell Creek — 47.72°N, 106.23°WHell Creek — 47.54°N, 107.08°WHell Creek — 45.95°N, 103.96°WHell Creek — 46.10°N, 103.30°WHell Creek — 45.98°N, 103.75°WHell Creek — 46.15°N, 103.81°WHell Creek — 46.18°N, 103.84°WHell Creek — 46.30°N, 103.98°WHell Creek — 46.41°N, 103.94°WHell Creek — 46.38°N, 103.96°WHell Creek — 46.45°N, 103.02°WHell Creek — 46.33°N, 103.90°WHell Creek — 45.94°N, 103.95°WHell Creek — 47.80°N, 106.10°WHell Creek — 47.62°N, 107.32°WHell Creek — 47.84°N, 106.16°WHell Creek — 47.57°N, 107.10°WHell Creek — 47.52°N, 106.40°WHell Creek — 47.60°N, 106.38°WHell Creek — 47.58°N, 106.30°WHell Creek — 47.55°N, 107.25°WHell Creek — 47.52°N, 107.18°WHell Creek — 47.53°N, 106.92°WHell Creek — 47.07°N, 106.92°WHell Creek — 47.60°N, 107.23°WHell Creek — 47.52°N, 107.00°WHell Creek — 47.87°N, 106.18°WHell Creek — 47.63°N, 106.20°WHell Creek — 45.46°N, 103.84°WHell Creek — 46.90°N, 101.50°WHell Creek — 46.09°N, 100.63°WHell Creek — 47.05°N, 104.74°WHell Creek — 46.26°N, 105.12°WHell Creek — 45.06°N, 103.45°WHell Creek — 47.58°N, 106.92°WHell Creek — 47.65°N, 106.28°WHell Creek — 45.73°N, 104.89°WHell Creek — 45.71°N, 103.56°WHell Creek — 45.38°N, 105.30°WHell Creek — 45.83°N, 103.90°WHell Creek — 46.41°N, 103.50°WHell Creek — 47.60°N, 107.00°WHell Creek — 47.66°N, 107.34°WHell Creek — 45.66°N, 105.08°WHell Creek — 45.89°N, 104.55°WHell Creek — 47.77°N, 106.29°WHell Creek — 46.57°N, 103.70°WHell Creek — 45.50°N, 103.10°WHell Creek — 45.64°N, 103.49°WHell Creek — 44.94°N, 101.65°WHell Creek — 47.06°N, 104.59°WHell Creek — 45.00°N, 103.19°WHell Creek — 45.00°N, 103.14°WHell Creek — 44.71°N, 103.06°WHell Creek — 43.67°N, 104.27°WHell Creek — 45.05°N, 102.88°WHell Creek — 47.32°N, 107.15°WHell Creek — 47.72°N, 106.53°WDinosaur Park — 50.74°N, 111.53°WDinosaur Park — 50.74°N, 111.57°WDinosaur Park — 50.81°N, 111.32°WDinosaur Park — 50.75°N, 111.48°WDinosaur Park — 49.95°N, 110.27°WDinosaur Park — 50.73°N, 111.30°WDinosaur Park — 50.73°N, 111.80°WDinosaur Park — 50.82°N, 111.57°WDinosaur Park — 50.75°N, 111.40°WDinosaur Park — 49.14°N, 110.42°WDinosaur Park — 50.75°N, 111.40°WDinosaur Park — 50.82°N, 111.86°WDinosaur Park — 49.14°N, 110.48°WDinosaur Park — 51.56°N, 108.14°WDinosaur Park — 51.44°N, 110.39°WDinosaur Park — 51.47°N, 110.39°WDinosaur Park — 52.45°N, 109.17°WDinosaur Park — 48.03°N, 110.24°WDinosaur Park — 50.82°N, 111.23°WDinosaur Park — 52.08°N, 112.98°WDinosaur Park — 50.40°N, 111.10°WDinosaur Park — 50.68°N, 108.09°WDinosaur Park — 50.51°N, 110.39°WLance — 43.35°N, 104.48°WLance — 43.30°N, 104.37°WLance — 41.57°N, 108.65°WLance — 41.55°N, 108.69°WLance — 42.20°N, 104.46°WLance — 42.58°N, 105.39°WLance — 43.12°N, 104.65°WLance — 43.14°N, 104.91°WLance — 43.24°N, 104.61°WLance — 43.18°N, 104.53°WLance — 37.58°N, 111.83°WLance — 45.75°N, 101.20°WLance — 42.65°N, 105.24°WLance — 43.27°N, 104.60°WLance — 43.28°N, 104.67°WLance — 43.14°N, 104.71°WLance — 42.09°N, 106.88°WLance — 41.91°N, 104.20°WLance — 43.20°N, 104.66°WLance — 43.49°N, 104.61°WLance — 43.00°N, 104.50°WLance — 43.44°N, 104.41°WLance — 45.48°N, 104.19°WLance — 43.42°N, 104.49°WLance — 45.39°N, 103.70°WLance — 45.52°N, 103.50°WLance — 41.73°N, 104.37°WLance — 42.88°N, 105.85°WLance — 45.39°N, 103.97°WLance — 45.46°N, 103.84°WLance — 47.79°N, 104.56°WLance — 47.48°N, 104.48°WLance — 43.49°N, 104.46°WLance — 45.17°N, 109.11°WOldman — 50.73°N, 111.80°WOldman — 50.63°N, 111.62°WOldman — 49.10°N, 110.94°WOldman — 49.08°N, 110.84°WOldman — 49.08°N, 110.68°WOldman — 49.16°N, 110.72°WOldman — 50.76°N, 111.53°WOldman — 49.20°N, 110.60°WOldman — 50.75°N, 111.52°WOldman — 49.29°N, 112.21°WOldman — 49.36°N, 110.58°WOldman — 50.73°N, 110.08°WOldman — 50.75°N, 111.41°WOldman — 50.87°N, 111.16°WOldman — 50.69°N, 111.62°WKirtland — 36.31°N, 108.08°WKirtland — 36.27°N, 108.17°WKirtland — 36.19°N, 107.89°WKirtland — 36.36°N, 108.57°WKirtland — 36.70°N, 108.30°WKirtland — 36.31°N, 108.03°WKirtland — 36.09°N, 108.01°WKirtland — 36.39°N, 108.11°WKirtland — 36.29°N, 108.55°WKirtland — 36.51°N, 108.32°WFerris — 42.16°N, 106.91°WFerris — 41.94°N, 106.88°WFerris — 41.80°N, 107.00°WFerris — 41.96°N, 106.89°WFerris — 41.83°N, 106.62°WAguja — 29.14°N, 103.20°WAguja — 29.20°N, 103.55°WAguja — 29.32°N, 103.52°WAguja — 29.20°N, 103.20°WAguja — 29.25°N, 103.55°WAguja — 29.25°N, 103.25°WAguja — 29.16°N, 103.03°WAguja — 29.14°N, 103.03°WAguja — 29.10°N, 103.12°WJudith River — 46.46°N, 109.41°WJudith River — 47.77°N, 108.95°WJudith River — 47.90°N, 109.00°WJudith River — 47.74°N, 109.62°WJudith River — 47.81°N, 109.59°WJudith River — 46.40°N, 109.66°WJudith River — 46.10°N, 109.11°WJudith River — 48.95°N, 110.56°WJudith River — 46.76°N, 108.00°WJudith River — 47.53°N, 109.50°WJudith River — 47.28°N, 108.21°WJudith River — 47.58°N, 109.41°WJudith River — 48.89°N, 110.74°WJudith River — 48.95°N, 110.62°WJudith River — 48.96°N, 112.27°WHorseshoe Canyon — 51.84°N, 112.78°WHorseshoe Canyon — 51.55°N, 112.87°WHorseshoe Canyon — 51.75°N, 112.96°WHorseshoe Canyon — 51.61°N, 112.88°WHorseshoe Canyon — 51.95°N, 112.94°WHorseshoe Canyon — 51.41°N, 112.63°WHorseshoe Canyon — 51.80°N, 112.96°WHorseshoe Canyon — 53.34°N, 113.89°WHorseshoe Canyon — 51.66°N, 112.91°WHorseshoe Canyon — 53.45°N, 113.55°WHorseshoe Canyon — 51.46°N, 112.73°WDenver — 39.73°N, 105.04°WDenver — 39.75°N, 105.20°WDenver — 39.81°N, 105.01°WDenver — 38.85°N, 104.35°WDenver — 39.87°N, 105.11°WDenver — 39.89°N, 105.00°WDenver — 39.31°N, 105.30°WDenver — 39.71°N, 105.09°WDenver — 39.65°N, 105.14°WDenver — 39.89°N, 104.89°WDenver — 39.99°N, 104.82°WDenver — 38.67°N, 104.70°WFrenchman — 49.04°N, 106.60°WFrenchman — 49.12°N, 106.35°WFrenchman — 49.00°N, 107.30°WFrenchman — 49.40°N, 107.40°WFrenchman — 49.52°N, 108.82°WFrenchman — 49.30°N, 108.40°WFrenchman — 49.05°N, 106.57°WFrenchman — 49.34°N, 108.33°WFrenchman — 49.33°N, 108.49°WFrenchman — 50.21°N, 107.37°WFrenchman — 49.06°N, 107.28°WFrenchman — 49.50°N, 109.05°WOjo Alamo — 36.24°N, 108.89°WOjo Alamo — 36.30°N, 108.03°WOjo Alamo — 36.34°N, 108.08°WKaiparowits — 37.63°N, 111.86°WKaiparowits — 37.56°N, 111.74°WKaiparowits — 37.53°N, 111.76°WKaiparowits — 37.53°N, 111.70°WKaiparowits — 37.42°N, 111.73°WKaiparowits — 37.40°N, 111.20°WTwo Medicine — 48.97°N, 112.65°WTwo Medicine — 48.63°N, 113.75°WTwo Medicine — 48.94°N, 112.64°WTwo Medicine — 48.61°N, 109.68°WTwo Medicine — 48.97°N, 112.64°WAguja — 28.94°N, 103.37°WAguja — 28.83°N, 103.30°WAguja — 29.00°N, 103.82°WAguja — 28.99°N, 103.31°WAguja — 28.92°N, 103.34°WAguja — 28.98°N, 103.38°WAguja — 28.77°N, 103.44°WAguja — 29.37°N, 104.27°WCerro del Pueblo — 25.70°N, 101.40°WCerro del Pueblo — 25.50°N, 101.40°WCerro del Pueblo — 25.47°N, 101.70°WCerro del Pueblo — 25.43°N, 101.29°WLaramie — 40.39°N, 104.49°WLaramie — 40.29°N, 106.86°WLaramie — 40.67°N, 104.33°WLaramie — 40.91°N, 104.76°WLaramie — 39.84°N, 105.18°WLaramie — 39.94°N, 105.14°WLaramie — 40.76°N, 104.16°WLaramie — 40.84°N, 104.58°WFruitland — 36.29°N, 108.23°WFruitland — 36.15°N, 107.98°WFruitland — 36.21°N, 108.08°WFruitland — 36.62°N, 108.46°WFruitland — 36.31°N, 108.08°WFruitland — 36.10°N, 108.08°WWapiti — 55.06°N, 119.11°WWapiti — 55.07°N, 119.55°WWapiti — 55.08°N, 119.53°WWapiti — 55.02°N, 119.43°WWapiti — 54.98°N, 119.56°WWapiti — 55.26°N, 118.51°WSt. Mary River — 49.92°N, 112.99°WSt. Mary River — 50.19°N, 113.01°WSt. Mary River — 49.62°N, 114.11°WForemost — 50.07°N, 111.14°WForemost — 49.13°N, 110.87°WForemost — 49.51°N, 111.36°WForemost — 49.60°N, 111.00°WScollard — 52.33°N, 113.12°WScollard — 51.89°N, 113.01°WJavelina — 29.40°N, 103.20°WJavelina — 29.40°N, 103.32°WJavelina — 29.23°N, 103.64°WWahweap — 37.18°N, 111.35°WWahweap — 37.19°N, 111.65°WWahweap — 37.45°N, 111.53°WWahweap — 37.38°N, 111.52°WWahweap — 37.56°N, 111.71°W

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The named rock units Ceratopsidae has been recovered from, largest first. Drawn where the rock is now, not where it formed. 33 further formations hold fewer occurrences each and are not listed. 13 occurrences have no formation on record, which is common for older literature.

Ceratopsidae and its relatives

Late Cretaceous

Where Ceratopsidae and its relatives were recorded in the Late Cretaceous.

Found in the same rock

573 taxa

The Paleobiology Database records 717 sites for Ceratopsidae, and this reads 240 of them. The number is how many of those sites it was catalogued from too. The 24 sharing the most are listed.

This is not a list of everything alive at the time. It is only what has come out of the same ground as this animal and been written down.

Entered from

283 references

Each of the 754 occurrences read was entered from one of these publications, ordered by how many each accounts for. This is not a search for papers mentioning the name. 271 further references are not listed. Entries link to doi.org where the Paleobiology Database holds an identifier, and to its own record where it does not. Relayed as the Paleobiology Database holds them, not checked against what they resolve to.

Media and terms

Media content3

Picture of Ceratopsidae

Credit
Kurt McKee shankar s. EvaK Jens Lallensack
Licence
CC BY 2.0
Commercial use
the licence allows it

Structured light scan

Licence
not stated by the source
Commercial use
cannot be read from the licence given — check the record
Specimen
Ceratopsidae indet. · RSKM:RSKM P3217.561

3D model

Source
Sketchfab
Licence
CC Attribution-NonCommercial
Commercial use
the licence does not allow it

The description on this site

Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0

This is what the site found, which is not the same as what exists.

Keep going

What may have been alongside itCeratopsia through timeFormations of the Late CretaceousThe world it lived on

Occurrence data from the Paleobiology Database, CC BY 4.0. Marsh 1888