[85], Based on general similarities between the vertebrate fauna and sediments of Bayan Mandahu and the Djadokhta Formation, the Bayan Mandahu Formation is considered to be Late Cretaceous in age, roughly Campanian. a, b, Clutch assigned to the basal ceratopsian Protoceratops (a) on the basis of embryonic remains (b).The white outlined area in a corresponds to b; the arrow in b indicates one of the white, egg . They lived during the Late Cretaceous period 75-71 million years ago. 37 different specimens have been found by paleontologists. [123], In 2011 Fastovsky with colleagues concluded that the juveniles within the nest MPC-D 100/530 were rapidly overwhelmed by a strong sand-bearing event and entombed alive. On the underside of the caudal vertebrae a series of chevrons were attached, giving form to the lower part of the tail. [1] Although not stated in the original description, the generic name, Protoceratops, is intended to mean "first horned face" as it was believed that Protoceratops represented an early ancestor of ceratopsids. Since this event likely occurred after the death of both animals or during a point where movement was not possible, and the Protoceratops is missing other body elements, Barsbold suggested that scavengers were the most likely authors. Weighing up to 100 poundsabout the size of a wolf Velociraptors likely hunted solo as they roamed across central and eastern Asia in the late Cretaceous . The last two were devoid of unguals and had a small size, mostly vestigial (retained, but without important function). However, it is now believed that they cathemeral. [5][19], The lower jaw of Protoceratops was a large element composed of the predentary, dentary, coronoid, angular and surangular. [24][3] In 1975, the Chinese paleontologist Zhao Zikui named the new oogenera Elongatoolithus and Macroolithus, including them in a new oofamily: the Elongatoolithidae. In both nests, the babies' heads are oriented in the same direction, facing away from the ancient prevailing winds. The team stated that feeding by Velociraptor upon Protoceratops was probably a relatively common occurrence in these environments, and that this ceratopsian actively formed part of the diet of Velociraptor. [55], In 2020, Czepiski analyzed several long-undescribed protoceratopsid specimens from the Udyn Sayr and Zamyn Khondt localities of the Djadokhta Formation. Like other ceratopsians, it had a rostral bone on the upper beak and a small frill around the . Protoceratops was discovered in 1922 . The manus (hand) of Protoceratops had five digits (fingers). [120], Later in 2010, Kirkland and Kenneth Bader redescribed and discussed the numerous feeding traces from this Protoceratops specimen, which they nicknamed Fox Site Protoceratops. Protoceratops itself was considered by the authors to be somehow related to ankylosaurians based on skull traits, with a more intensified degree to Triceratops and relatives. This low-browsing method would have allowed to feed on foliage and fruits within range, and large basal ceratopsians may have consumed tougher seeds or plant material not available to smaller basal ceratopsians. They appear to have cared for their young. Fastovsky pointed out these two factors combined indicate that this site was host to high biotic activity, mainly composed of arthropod scavengers who were also involved in the recycling of Protoceratops carcasses. She cited myths such as cyclopes, giants, griffins and minotaurs. Had a body mass of approximately 177 kg. A large and thick ridge ran along the lateral surface of the dentary that connected the coronoid processa bony projection that extends upwards from the upper surface of the lower jaw behind the tooth rowand surangular. These individuals were considered as females. [29], Nevertheless, in 2011 an authentic nest of Protoceratops was reported and described by David E. Fastovsky and colleagues. They interpreted the interaction as the Protoceratops being grasped and dispatched with kicks delivered by the low-lying Velociraptor. For instance, some specimens (e.g., holotype IMM 95BM1/1) preserve high nasal bones with a pair of horns; relatively short antorbital length; and vertically oriented nostrils. The Protoceratops eggs are the first ever discovered for a horned dinosaur, while the Mussaurus eggs represent some of the earliest for a long-necked dinosaur. Karen. These posters are perfect for classroom, science lab, or home school. P. andrewsi had a pair of cylindrical, blunt teeth near the tip of the upper jaw. So, first thing you may notice is that I'm not talking, and my mic was muted, and I feel too lazy to re-record. andrewsi. [68], In 2011 during the description of Koreaceratops, Yuong-Nam Lee and colleagues found the above swimming hypotheses hard to prove based on the abundance of Protoceratops in eolian (wind-deposited) sediments that were deposited in prominent arid environments. Saneyoshi and team emphasized that the high frequency of feeding traces at the limb joints of numerous specimens and reports of previous studies, indicates that small animals may have targeted the collagen found in the joint cartilage of dried dinosaur carcasses as a source of nitrogen, which was low in the desert-dry conditions of these dinosaur fossils. Preservational bias has been largely ruled out, it is therefore likely that Protoceratops was common in this habitat. What was a Protoceratops's habitat? For instance, the Protoceratops has a semi-erect stance and its skull is nearly horizontal, which could have not been possible if the animal was already dead. The hindlimbs were longer than the forelimbs. Given that this posture is exhibited by populations from both Bayan Mandahu and Djadokhta formations, Jerzykiewiczz indicated that this behavior was not unique to any locality. They found at least three types of feeding traces on this individual; nearly circular boringswhich they found instead to correlate best with feeding traces made by dermestid beetlesof 0.61cm (6.010.0mm) in diameter; semicircular shaped notches at the edge of bones; and destruction of articular surfaces, mostly at the joints of the limbs. Like the neighbouring Bayn Dzak, this new locality contained an abundance of Protoceratops fossils. The individuals of this block were identified as a P. andrewsi and V. mongoliensis. Se ha dado con huevos pequeos y con una gran cantidad de fsiles, que abarcan desde especmenes jvenes . El Protoceratops fue de alguna forma el primer ceratopsiano real. [51][52] In most recent/modern phylogenetic analyses Protoceratops and Bagaceratops are commonly recovered as sister taxa, leaving the interpretations proposing direct relationships with more derived ceratopsians unsupported. [103] Ukhaa Tolgod, a highly fossiliferous locality is also included in the Bayn Dzak member. 6. [12] Gregory M. Erickson and team in 2017 reported an embryo-bearing egg clutch (MPC-D 100/1021) of Protoceratops from the also fossiliferous Ukhaa Tolgod locality, discovered during paleontological expeditions of the American Museum of Natural History and Mongolian Academy of Sciences. Found as fossils in deposits from the Late Cretaceous Period (about 100 million to 65.5 million years ago) of eastern Asia and North America, Oviraptor was about 1.8 metres (6 feet) long and walked on two long, well-developed hind limbs. The centra were large and predominantly amphiplatian (flat on both facets) and circular when seen from the front. Protoceratops is the one dinosaur that every fossil hunting expedition finds in Mongolia. c Walter Granger v W.K. Protoceratops Pronunciation: pro-toe-ker-ah-tops Name meaning: 'first horned face' Type of dinosaur: ceratopsian Length: 1.8m Weight: 400kg. It was a large and somewhat rounded bone that complemented the curvature of the dentary. As some individuals are closely appressed along the well-defined margin of the nest, it may have had a circular or semi-circular shapeas previously hypothetizedwith a diameter of 70cm (700mm). Kirkland and Bader concluded that adults of a large beetle taxon would detect decaying carcasses buried below the sand and dig down in order to feed and lay their eggs. The habitat for a Protoceratops was originally thought to be swamps and forests. The coracoids were relatively elliptical, and sometimes coosified (fused) to the scapulae. The feet were wide and had four toes with flattened, shovel-like unguals, which would have been useful for digging through the sand. [68], In 2019 Victoria M. Arbour and David C. Evans cited the robusticity of the ulna of Ferrisaurus as a useful feature for digging, which may have been also true for Protoceratops. Tysice darmowych zdj i wektorw. Eye size is an important adaptation in predators and nocturnal animals because a larger eye ratio poses a higher sensitivity and resolution. Protoceratops Shared its Habitat with Oviraptor. Lee and colleagues concluded that even though the tail morphology of Koreaceratopsand other basal ceratopsiansdoes not argues against swimming habits, the cited evidence for it is insufficient. The pubis was the smallest element of the pelvic girdle and it had an irregular shape, although its lower end was developed into a pointed bony projection downwards. Coahuilaceratops (meaning "Coahuila horn face") is a genus of ceratopsian dinosaur which lived in what is now Mexico. This growth rate is mostly similar to that of other small herbivorous dinosaurs such as primitive Psittacosaurus or Scutellosaurus. [49], However, in 1975 Maryanska and Osmolska argued that it is very unlikely that protoceratopsids evolved from psittacosaurids, and also unlikely that they gave rise to the highly derived (advanced) ceratopsids. During this year more eggs and nests were collected, alongside well-preserved and complete specimens of Protoceratops. hellenikorhinus. They also pointed out that while taxa such as Leptoceratops and Montanoceratops are recovered from fluvial sediments, they are estimated to be some of the poorest swimmers. The results indicated that Protoceratops was a cathemeral herbivore and Velociraptor primarily nocturnal, suggesting that the Fighting Dinosaurs deathmatch may have occurred at twilight or under low-light conditions. The dentary (teeth-bearing bone) was robust, deep, slightly recurved, and fused to the angular and surangular. As this behavior would have been common in Protoceratops, it predisposed individuals to become entombed alive during the sudden collapse of their burrows and high energy sand-bearing eventssuch as sandstormsand thus explaining the standing in-situ posture of some specimens. 'first horned face') is a genus of small protoceratopsid dinosaurs that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous, around 75 to 71 million years ago. Populations of P. andrewsi may have evolved into Bagaceratops through anagenesis. Most bones of Protoceratops preserve a large abundance of bone fibers (including Sharpey's fibres), which likely gave strength to the organ and enhanced its elasticity. These results suggest that they functioned as socio-sexual dominance signals, or, they were mostly used in display. Stumper. [44], In 1991, the paleontologist Gregory S. Paul stated that contrary to the popular view of ornithischians as obligate herbivores, some groups may have been opportunistic meat-eaters, including the members of Ceratopsidae and Protoceratopsidae. While Andy and his colleagues were able to show that the frill of Protoceratops likely evolved as a result of social behaviour between members of the species as opposed to, for example, defence, it is difficult to be conclusive that . As a whole, the skull had four pairs of fenestrae (skull openings). The researchers analyzed new, embryo-bearing egg fossils ascribed to the dinosaurs Protoceratops and Mussaurus. Most of the sacral ribs were fused into the sacrum, and had a rather curved shape. By this time, Protoceratops had become one of the most abundant dinosaurs of the region with more than 100 specimens known, including skulls and skeletons of multiple individuals at different growth stages. The team referred these elements to Protoceratops and Velociraptor mainly based on their abundance across the unit, although they admitted that reported remains could represent different, yet related taxa (in this case, Linheraptor instead of Velociraptor). [21] In 2006 North American paleontologists Peter Makovicky and Mark A. Norell suggested that Bainoceratops may be synonymous with Protoceratops as most of the traits used to separate the former from the latter have been reported from other ceratopsians including Protoceratops itself, and they are more likely to fall within the wide intraspecific variation range of the concurring P. Unlike the much derived ceratopsids, the frontal and postorbital bones of Protoceratops were flat and lacked horn cores or supraorbital horns. [95][96], Protoceratops is known from most localities of the Djadokhta Formation in Mongolia, which dates back to the Late Cretaceous about 71 million to 75 million years ago, being deposited during a rapid sequence of polarity The fact that the individuals likely spend some time in the nest after hatching for growth suggests that Protoceratops parents might have cared for their young at nests during at least the early stages of life. Behind the eye was a slightly smaller fenestra known as the infratemporal fenestra, formed by the curves of the jugal and squamosal. ; Utkarsh Ambudkar as Orson: A humanoid supremacist Protoceratops with a bulging brain who wants to take control of the Lost World. The sclerotic ring (structure that supports the eyeball), found inside the orbit, was circular in shape and formed by consecutive bony plates. Protoceratops Protoceratops ("Before the horned-faces") is well known from numerous skeletons, ranging from young animals to adults. Though more remains of Protoceratops were collected in later years of the expeditions, they were most abundant in the 1922 to 1925 seasons. Story. [5][46][47], The dorsal vertebrae were similar in shape and size. This family was characterized by their overall primitive morphology in comparison to the more derived Ceratopsidae, such as lack of well-developed horn cores and relative smaller body size. Although previously suggested for P. hellenikorhinus, the team argued that the sample used for this species was not sufficient, and given that sexual dimorphism was not recovered in P. andrewsi, it is unlikely that it occurred in P. 5). Preserved traces were reported as pits, notches, borings, and tunnels, which they attributed to scavengers. One Protoceratops Species was Named in Honor of a Real-Life Indiana Jones. The squamosal touched the jugal (cheekbone) and was very enlarged and high having a curved end that built the borders of the frill. First group includes individuals with a well-developed bony ridge on the lateral surface of the squamosal bone, and the posterior border of the squamosal is backwards oriented. [5][19], Protoceratops had leaf-shaped dentary and maxillary teeth that bore several denticles (serrations) on their respective edges. [69], Gregory and Mook in 1925 suggested that Protoceratops was partially aquatic because of its large feetbeing larger than the handsand the very long neural spines found in the caudal (tail) vertebrae. The neck was rather short and had poor flexibility. It is simpler, he argues, to understand the griffin as a mythical combination of well-known extant animal species than as an ancient misunderstanding of fossilized collections of bones. The jaw morphology of Protoceratopsmore suitable for processing plant materialand its extreme abundance indicate it was not a predator, so if it was a diurnal animal, then it would have been expected to have a much smaller sclerotic ring size. Based on these components, the paleoenvironments of the Djadokhta Formation are interpreted as having a hot, semiarid climate with large dune fields/sand dunes and several short-lived water bodies, similar to the modern Gobi Desert. [6] In 1940, Barnum Brown and Erich Maren Schlaikjer described the anatomy of P. andrewsi in extensive detail using newly prepared specimens from the Asiatic expeditions. Unlike dentary and maxillary teeth, the premaxillary dentition was devoid of denticles, having a relatively smooth surface. Published November 29, 2011 Share Tweet Email However, he noted that there were enough differences between P. andrewsi and P. kozlowskii, and erected the new genus and combination Breviceratops kozlowskii. [12], In 2017 Gregory M. Erickson and colleagues determined the incubation periods of P. andrewsi and Hypacrosaurus by using lines of arrested growth (LAGS; lines of growth) of the teeth in embryonic specimens (Protoceratops egg clutch MPC-D 100/1021). Both hand and feet unguals were flat, blunt and hoof-like. They also observed that the maximum or latest stage of development of the neck frill and nasal horn occurred in the oldest Protoceratops individuals, indicating that such traits were ontogenically variable (meaning that they varied with age). Information about the Protoceratop's habitat is limited to fossils found by paleontologists. Obtained results showed instead that several regions of the skull of Protoceratops independently varied in their rate of growth, ontogenetic shape and morphology; a high growth of the frill during ontogeny in relation to other body regions; and a large variability of the neck frill independent of size. Because it is generally accepted that most fossil specimens at Tugriken Shireh were preserved by rapidly migrating dunes and sandstorms, Fastovsky with colleagues suggested that the lee side borders of the nest would have been the area where air was sand-free and consequently, all young Protoceratops may have struggled to reach this area, resulting in their final burial and eventual death. [43] Although similar in overall body size, the latter had a relatively greater skull length. He largely considered elongatoolithid eggs to belong to Protoceratops because adult skeletons were found in close proximity to nests, interpreting this as an evidence for parental care. Its skull was one of the largest of any land animal known to science and particularly big relative to the size of its body. The maxilla was very deep and had up to 15 alveoli (tooth sockets) on its underside or teeth bearing surface. The coronoid (highest point of the lower jaw) was blunt-shaped and touched by the coronoid process of the dentary, being obscured by the jugal. The most intimidating parts of the otherwise gentle Protoceratops were its teeth, beak and jaws, which this dinosaur used to clip, tear and chew the tough vegetation of its central Asian habitat. (plus 4 other paragraphs) Animal Characteristics: Habitat: Desert; Location: Asia; Era: Cretaceous Minimum happiness needed for chance of breeding: 95.
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