Styracosaurus albertensis stih-RAK-oh-SOR-us
"Spiked lizard"
You 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall
Styracosaurus 5.5 m (18 ft) long
4 people holding hands
- Length
- 5.5 m (18 ft) — About 5.5 m long, ~2 tonnes — famous for the giant spikes ringing its neck frill.
- Period
- Late Cretaceous (76–75 Mya)
- Place
- North America · Alberta, Canada · Montana
- Food
- Herbivore — Tough low-growing plants — beak and tooth batteries similar to Triceratops.
Styracosaurus had the most dramatic frill of any ceratopsian — a ring of long forward-curving spikes sprouted from the back edge of the bony neck shield, with a single long horn rising from the nose. The frill was probably for display rather than defense, though it certainly looked intimidating. Bonebeds suggest Styracosaurus traveled in large herds.
What we know
- Single long nose horn — up to 60 cm.
- Ring of six long spikes around the back of the neck frill.
- Bonebeds preserve dozens of individuals — strong evidence of herd life.
- Lived alongside Gorgosaurus, Corythosaurus, and Lambeosaurus.
What we guess
- Whether the frill and spikes were primarily for species recognition, mate attraction, or defense.
- Whether the horn and spikes were colorful in life.
- Whether Styracosaurus and other centrosaurines competed or specialized in different plants.