Pronunciation: AHR-kay-oh-SEH-ruh-tops
Meaning: Ancient horn face
Author/s: Dong and Azuma (1997)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Gansu, China
Discovery Chart Position: #417
Archaeoceratops oshimai
In a rather contradictory manner, (arkhaios means "ancient" but neo means "new"), Archaeoceratops is one of the oldest neoceratopsians. It's also one of the smallest ceratopsians (ceratops means "horn face") with many features found in its later-living, giant horn-faced relatives. But funnily enough, a horned-face isn't one of them.
Etymology
Archaeoceratops is derived from the Greek "arkhaios" (ancient), "ceras" (horn) and "ops" (face). The species epithet, oshimai, honours Mr. Oshima, the director of Chunichi-Shinbuan: the Japanese newspaper publisher who supported the expedition that found its remains.
ZooBank registry: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:237C0BB1-88B2-48A8-B786-FA87D77BBA44.
Discovery
The first fossils of Archaeoceratops were discovered in the Xinminbao Group, Gongpoquan Basin, Mazongshan Area, Gansu Province, China, during the Sino-Japanese Silk Road dinosaur expedition in 1992. The Holotype (IVPP V 11114) includes a well preserved, nearly complete skull, partial vertebral column, and partial pelvis. The paratype (IVPP V 11115) is a partial vertebral column, a nearly complete tail, a partial pelvis, fragmentary hind limb bones, and a complete foot, from a much smaller specimen.
