Beg

Beg is the oldest known neoceratopsian dinosaur from Mongolia. Before its discovery, neoceratopsians were only known from younger, Late Cretaceous rocks in that region.1

The only fossil of Beg is a partial skull and a few other bones, including a rib and part of a shoulder blade. It was found by a joint Mongolian-American expedition in 2015.1

Beg had a unique skull with five equally spaced bumps on the side of its lower jaw. These bumps may have been covered by a horny sheath.1

Beg lived around 100 million years ago, right at the boundary between the Early and Late Cretaceous. Its age is estimated between 113 and 94 million years old.1

The name Beg comes from a Mongolian war god, Beg-tse, who is often shown with armor and bumpy skin, similar to the rough bones on Beg's skull.1

Beg had four large, cylindrical teeth in its upper jaw (premaxilla), which is a primitive feature not seen in later horned dinosaurs.1