Styracosaurus

NOTE:  The first drawing in this post can be found in printable format by clicking on either of two buttons above:  Paleontology or All Printables.   The recent drawings are always last on the list. 

Styracosaurus feeding on ferns

Styracosaurus was a Ceratopsian dinosaur of the Cretaceous Period.  The name means "Spiked Lizard."  They lived about 70-75 million years ago.  They were a branch on the Ceratopsian Branch of the evolutionary tree.  We do not think they evolved into another type of Ceratopsian dinosaur...they were just replaced by other Ceratopsians...like Triceratops.  Ceratopsians are the horned and frilled dinosaurs.  Styracosaurus had one large nose horn that was about 2 feet or .6  meter long.  They were about 18 feet or 5.5 meters long.  They stood around 6 feet or 2 meters tall.  They weighed up to 3 tons.  They had a beak and shearing teeth for cropping and eating plants.  Probably they were browsers eating shrubs and ferns...maybe even stripping bark off of bushes and trees... ...but they were probably not grazers who eat grass mostly.  However, there was grass during that part of the Cretaceous Period so Ceratopsians may have eaten grass as well.  The above new drawing has a Styracosaurus feeding on ferns near a river.  The below drawing also has it feeding on ferns.  Note the spots on the body and eye spots on the front of the frill.

Stryracosaurs lived in herds in North America and its fossils were found in Alberta Canada.  The Genus name is Styracosaurus and the species name is albertensis.  This type of Ceratopsians probably defended their young with their nose horn and size.  Their 4-5 spikes or horns on their frills were probably defensive adaptations to make it harder for an Albertosaurus to reach around and bite their back or neck.  Albertosaurus was the top predator at the time and in that region of North America.  It is interesting to note that 100 individuals (in fossil form) were found in a bone bed in Arizona.  This supports the theory that Styracosaurus lived in and migrated in herds.

Albertosaurus with leopard pattern

(This drawing was used in a Mother's Day Post)

Those frills, spikes or horns on Styracosaurus also may have been for males to attract females.  . . . as in  "come make babies with me honey, I have the toughest and biggest horns."  Evidence shows that the frills had a lot of blood vessels and may have been able to be pumped with blood for display.  Some paleontologist have suggested that the frill may have been a great place for eye spots.  Eye spots are an adaptation that makes an animal look bigger.  Of course in Styracosaurus' case it would be to make it look even more big.  3 tons is not exactly small.

Triceratops

Styracosaurus lived well before the better known Triceratops.  Also, Styracosaurus was big, but quite a bit smaller than the 30 foot (9 meters) long Triceratops.