Einiosaurus

Filed under Cretaceous dinosaurs · Types of Dinosaurs editorial team

Order: Ornithischia · Suborder: Ceratopsia · Infraorder: Ceratopsidae · Family: Ceratopsidae

Einiosaurus was a horned dinosaur that roamed the Late Cretaceous landscape of Montana. Its name, meaning "buffalo lizard," reflects the distinctive appearance of adult individuals, which featured a strongly curved, hook-like nose horn that jutted forward prominently. The animal's bony frill, which extended from the back of its skull, bore a pair of long spikes that pointed backward. As a member of the Ceratopsidae family—specifically a centrosaurine ceratopsian—Einiosaurus reached lengths of approximately 15 feet.

As a herbivore, Einiosaurus fed on low-growing vegetation, using a specialized beak to crop plants and dental batteries to process its food. Paleontologists have learned much about this species from a remarkable bone bed discovered in Montana containing the remains of many individuals. This mass accumulation of skeletal material has provided rare insight into variation and growth patterns within a single species, and the density of fossils suggests that Einiosaurus may have lived in herds, traveling and foraging together across its ancient environment.

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Reference background: Natural History Museum, London — Dinosaurs; Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Dinosaurs; American Museum of Natural History — Dinosaurs & Fossils. Figures are typical published ranges; taxonomy follows the source era and modern consensus is noted where it differs. See our sources & fact-check policy.

Related dinosaurs

Other dinosaurs from the Ceratopsidae family.