LIAOCERATOPS
a herbivorous neoceratopsian dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of China.
Pronunciation: leow-seh-ruh-tops
Meaning: Liaoning horned face
Author/s: Xu
et al<.em>. (2002)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Liaoning Province, China
Discovery Chart Position: #508
Liaoceratops yanzigouensis
[Liaoning Horned Face from Yanzigou]Etymology
Liaoceratops is derived from "Liao" (for Liaoning) and the Greek "ceras" (horn) and "ops" (face). The
species epithet,
yanzigouensis means "from Yanzigou" in Latin.
Discovery
The remains of
Liaoceratops were discovered in the Yixian Formation at Yanzigou Town, Liaoning Province, China. The
Holotype (IVPP V12738) is an almost complete skull. A juvenile skull (IVPP V12633) is a paratype. In 2007 another skull, CAGS-IG-VD-002, of an even younger individual was referred. This lacked the skull roof, which has been explained as the result of a predator opening the braincase to eat the contents.
Preparators
Huo Y-L, Wang F-L and Wang H-J.
Estimations
Timeline:
Era: Mesozoic
Epoch: Early Cretaceous
Stage: Hauterivian
Age range: 126 mya
Stats:
Est. max. length: 0.5 meters
Est. max. hip height: ?
Est. max. weight: 2 Kg
Diet: Herbivore
Liaoceratops
yanzigouensis
References
• Xu X, Makovicky PJ, Wang X, Norell MA and You H (2002) "A ceratopsian dinosaur from China and the early evolution of Ceratopsia".
Nature, 416(6878): 314–317. DOI: 10.1038/416314a.
• You H, Tanoue K and Dodson P (2007) "A new specimen of
Liaoceratops yanzigouensis (Dinosauria: Neoceratopsia) from the Early Cretaceous of Liaoning Province, China".
Acta Geologica Sinica, 81(6): 898-904.
• Paul GS (2016) "The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs".
• Guo T, He Y-M and Zhao Q (2025)
"Osteohistology on
Liaoceratops yanzigouensis (Dinosauria: Neoceratopsia) from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota".
Vertebrata Palasiatica (advance online publication).
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To cite this page:
Atkinson, L.
"
LIAOCERATOPS :: from DinoChecker's dinosaur archive".
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