Centrosaurus

*Centrosaurus apertus*

* Timothy Bradley Artwork
* Robert F Walters Artwork

***Centrosaurus*** is an extinct genus of herbivorous ceratopsian dinosaurs from the late Cretaceous of Canada. Their remains have been found in the Dinosaur Park Formation and uppermost Oldman Formation, dating from 76.5 to 75.5 million years ago.

## Description

The massive bodies of Centrosaurus were borne by stocky limbs, although at up to 5.5 meters (18 feet) they were not particularly large dinosaurs.

## Discovery and naming

The first *Centrosaurus* remains were discovered by paleontologist Lawrence Lambe in strata along the Red Deer River in Alberta, Canada. Later, vast bonebeds of *Centrosaurus* were found in Dinosaur Provincial Park, also in Alberta. Some of these beds extend for hundreds of meters and contain thousands of individuals of all ages and all levels of completion. Scientists have speculated that the high density and number of individuals would be explained if they had perished while trying to cross a flooded river. A discovery of thousands of *Centrosaurus* fossils near the town of Hilda, Alberta, is believed to be the largest bed of dinosaur bones ever discovered.

## Classification

The genus Centrosaurus gives its name to the Centrosaurinae subfamily.

## Paleobiology

Like other ceratopsids, the jaws of Centrosaurus were adapted to shear through tough plant material.

## Paleobiogeography

Thomas M. Lehman has observed that Centrosaurus fossils haven't been found outside of southern Alberta even though they are among the most abundant Judithian dinosaurs in the region.

## JPInstitute.com Description

Another ferocious looking horned dinosaur, Centrosaurus was large and heavily built. With a big curved nasal horn and sharply hooked spikes on its neck frill, an assault by Centrosaurus would likely have resulted in giant stabbing and tearing wounds that could be deadly to any opponent. It appears that Centrosaurus traveled in large herds, both an invitation and a daunting sight to the Cretaceous predators.

Centrosaurus was a fairly typical ceratopsian family member, with a heavy, stocky body, facial horns, and a neck frill with spikes. The neck frill on Centrosaurus was rather small, but it had two wickedly hooked spikes that curved sharply downward to hold and tear the flesh of taller opponents. The brow horns were mere lumps, and the nasal horn was long and slightly curved like a modern Rhinoceros.

Centrosaurus remains are part of one of the largest bone beds ever located, in western Canada. Over 200 Centrosaurus individuals have been identified, and most of the bone bed has yet to be uncovered. Only a few juveniles have been located. This may mean that predators followed the herds, waiting to attack the young and weak.

## Dinosaur Field Guide Description

In the 1800s, Centrosaurus ('spur lizard") was discovered in what is now called Dinosaur Provincial Park, in Alberta, Canada. This is one of the largest dinosaur graveyards in the world. In the 1980s, paleontologists discovered the "Centrosaurus Bonebed" within the park. The bonebed contains the skeletons of thousands of Centrosaurus that perished while crossing a river during a flood. This allows scientists a rare chance to see how Centrosaurus changed as it grew old. Scientists had argued for years over whether Centrosaurus was the same animal as Monocionius. The confusion resulted from the fact that horned
dinosaurs' heads changed a lot as the animals grew older. Juveniles did not have the bumps, hooks, spikes, and knobs found on the skulls of adults. The dinosaur once known as Monoclonius is now regarded as a juvenile form of Centrosaurus and other horned dinosaurs.

### Fun Facts

One of the most common injuries in Centrosaurus skeletons is a broken tail. Apparently, it was quite common for them to get stepped on!

### Trivia

Dinosaur Provincial Park is a World Heritage Preserve: This means that the United Nations regards this park as a treasure for the whole world.

## Appearance in other media

### *We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story*

A *Centrosaurus* skull is seen in The Museum of Natural History.

## Links

http://web.archive.org/web/20040214172322fw\_/http://www.jpinstitute.com/dinopedia/dinocards/dc\_centr.html