Wendiceratops pinhornensis is the name of the new dinosaur discovered at a site in southern Alberta in Canada and, according to scientists at the Royal Ontario Museum (Canada) and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (USA), it is the first documented appearance of a horn on the nose (like that of the Triceratops), offering new data on the evolution of antlers in this family of dinosaurs.
The remains, which number more than 200 bones, are part of at least four specimens (three adults and one young) that were approximately 6 meters long and weighed just over a ton . According to the estimates of paleontologists, the Wendiceratops lived about 79 million years ago , which would suppose that it represents one of the oldest members of the family of ceratopsid dinosaurs such as the well-known Triceratops.
“Wendiceratops helps us understand the early evolution of the ornate skulls in an iconic group of dinosaurs q ue are characterized by their faces with horns , ” says David Evans, co – author of the study.
And it is that his antlers were composed of several horns with the shape of a curved hook , as if it were armor or helmet. These horns protruded from the back of the skull forward, adorning its skull collar. In addition, a prominent upright horn probably sat on the dinosaur’s nasal bone.
“The great bony ruff of Wendiceratops was surrounded by numerous curly horns, the nose had a large straight horn, and it probably had horns over the eyes as well. The number of twisted horns on the skull ruffle makes it one of the most striking horned dinosaurs ever found, ”Evans clarifies.
The finding has been published in the journal PloS One .
