Pronunciation: HEE-lee-o-SEH-ruh-tops
Meaning: Sun Horned Face
Author/s: Jin et al. (2009)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Jilin, China
Discovery Chart Position: #676
Helioceratops brachygnathus
Helioceratops is a neoceratopsian, a primitive horn-faced herbivore similar to
Auroraceratops and Yamaceratops, and hails from the Quantou Formation which may be late Early Cretaceous... or early Late Cretaceous.
(Sun Horned-Face with a Short Jaw)Etymology
Helioceratops is derived from "Helios" (the Greek Sun God, brother of "Eos" (Dawn), who rode his sun charriot from East to West everyday), and the Greek "keras" (horn) and "ops" (face). Despite being the personification of sunlight, Helios pretty much kept himself to himself, apart from popping out to sire scores of children by a dozen or so women, and the odd tantrum when someone nicked his cows. His son Phaeton, however, caused absolute chaos when he tried to ride his dads sun chariot, lost control and set fire to earth. Nasty one. Early neoceratopsians such as Helioceratops and its "brother" Auroraceratops (Dawn ceratops) also "rose" in the east, that is, they originated in the orient.
The species epithet, brachygnathus, is derived from the Greek "brachys" (short) and "gnathus" (jaw), unsurprisingly referring to its short jaw.
Discovery
The remains of Helioceratops were discovered at Gongzhuling quarry in the Quantou Formation (Songliao Basin), Shanqian Village, Liufangzi Town, Gongzhuling City, Jilin Province, China, by field teams from the Jilin University Geological Museum (JLUM) during 2000 and 2002.
The same quarry yielded the holotype of Changchunsaurus (Zan et al. (2005).
The holotype (JLUM L0204-Y-3) is a right dentary (tooth-bearing bone of the lower jaw). The paratype (JLUM L0204-Y-4) is a left maxilla (tooth bearing bone of the upper jaw), which the authors believe is from the same critter.
Preparators
Li Tao of the Jilin University Geological Museum at Changchun.
