Albertaceratops
Albertaceratops was a horned dinosaur that lived in what is now Canada and the USA, about 77.5 million years ago. It had long brow horns and a big frill with two hook-like spikes. It walked on four legs and ate plants.1
When did it live?
How big was it?
How long was it?
How heavy was it?
How big was Albertaceratops compared to YOU?
Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
Fun facts
Albertaceratops is unusual because it had long brow horns, but most other centrosaurine horned dinosaurs had short ones.1
Its frill had two large, outward-projecting hooks, which might have been for display or defense.1
It lived about 77.5 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period.1
The only known skull was found in August 2001, and it was almost complete.1
Scientists once thought some bones from Montana belonged to Albertaceratops, but later found they were from a different dinosaur called Medusaceratops.1
The species name, nesmoi, honors a rancher named Cecil Nesmo who helped fossil hunters.1
Most asked questions about Albertaceratops
?How big was Albertaceratops?
About 5.8 metres (19 ft) long and weighed around 3,500 kilograms (7,700 lb).1
?What did Albertaceratops eat?
It ate plants. It was an herbivore.1
?When did Albertaceratops live?
It lived about 77.5 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period.1
?Where was Albertaceratops found?
Its skull was found in Alberta, Canada, and some bones were later found in Montana, USA.1
?Why did Albertaceratops have long brow horns?
Scientists are not sure, but they might have been used for display or fighting. It is unusual because most similar dinosaurs had short brow horns.1
?Is Albertaceratops a dinosaur?
Yes, it is a type of horned dinosaur called a ceratopsian.1
Ask Rex about Albertaceratops
Rex only answers questions about this page. 3 questions a day.
Rex is an AI and can make mistakes. He runs on servers in the EU and questions are never saved. Never type your name or other personal things.
Myth buster
Myth: Some people think Albertaceratops was a meat-eater because it had horns and a beak.
Truth: Actually, it was a plant-eater, as shown by its teeth and jaw shape.3
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Albertaceratops
- Named by
- Ryan 20073
- Group
- Horned dinos
- Family / clade
- Ceratopsidae3
- Classification
- Ornithischia > Ceratopsia > Ceratopsidae3
- Age of the rocks
- 84 to 72 million years (Campanian)3
- Rock formations
- Oldman, Judith River3
- Countries
- Canada, USA3
- Fossil records
- 2 in the Paleobiology Database3
- Discovery
- It was named by Michael J. Ryan in 2007, based on a skull found in Alberta, Canada, in 2001.12
- Still debated
- Scientists still debate whether some bones from Montana belong to Albertaceratops or to a different dinosaur, Medusaceratops.1
Where the facts come from
- Albertaceratops (en.wikipedia.org)
- A new basal centrosaurine ceratopsid from the Oldman Formation, southeastern Alberta | Journal of Paleontology | Cambridge Core (cambridge.org)
- Albertaceratops in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
Rex is hungry! Dino Wiki is a dad's project for his dino-loving son, free with no ads. Grown-ups can feed Rex a snack to help keep it online.Feed Rex
Triceratops
Protoceratops
Ojoceratops
Tatankaceratops
Psittacosaurus
Centrosaurus
Tyrannosaurus
Velociraptor
Spinosaurus
Ankylosaurus
Parasaurolophus
Pteranodon