Nasutoceratops

Filed under Cretaceous dinosaurs · Types of Dinosaurs editorial team

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

Nasutoceratops was a horned dinosaur that roamed what is now Utah during the Late Cretaceous period. Its name, meaning "big-nosed horned face," refers to its most distinctive feature: an exceptionally large nasal region and a pair of long brow horns that curved forward in a manner reminiscent of modern cattle horns. These horns swept outward and forward, giving the animal a striking appearance that set it apart from many of its relatives.

This ceratopsian measured approximately 15 feet in length and belonged to the centrosaurine branch of horned dinosaurs, a group known for their varied cranial ornamentation. Nasutoceratops possessed a relatively short and simple frill compared with some other members of its family, a contrast that underscores the remarkable diversity of horn and frill configurations found across ceratopsians. As a herbivore, it browsed on low vegetation in the lush, subtropical landscape of its time.

The discovery of Nasutoceratops contributes to scientists' understanding of how specialized different horned dinosaurs became during the Cretaceous. Its unusual nasal anatomy and distinctive horn configuration demonstrate the evolutionary experimentation that characterized the ceratopsian group as it diversified across various environments and time periods.

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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.