Archaeoceratops

*Archaeoceratops oshimai*

***Archaeoceratops***, meaning "ancient horned face", is a genus of basal neoceratopsian dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous (Aptian stage) of north central China. It appears to have been bipedal and quite small (about 1 meter long) with a comparatively large head. Unlike many later ceratopsians it had no horns, possessing only a small bony frill projecting from the back of its head.

## Discovery and species

Two specimens were found in the Middle Gray Unit of the Xinminbao Group, Gongpoquan Basin of the Mazong Shan area of Gansu Province, north central China. The type species, *A. oshimai*, was named by Dong Zhiming and Azuma in 1997. It is the first basal neoceratopsian discovered in this area.

The type specimen, IVPP V11114, consists of a partially complete skeleton including skull, caudal vertebrae, pelvis, and most of a hind pes (foot).
The second specimen (paratype), IVPP V11115, consists of an incomplete skeleton with a relatively well preserved caudal series, a partial hind limb, and a completely preserved pes. It is slightly smaller than the holotype.

## Classification

*Archaeoceratops* belonged to the Ceratopsia (the name is Greek for "horned face"), a group of herbivorous dinosaurs with parrot-like beaks which thrived in North America and Asia during the Cretaceous Period. In 1997 Dong and Azuma placed it in a new family, **Archaeoceratopsidae**.

## Diet

*Archaeoceratops*, like all ceratopsians, was a herbivore. During the Cretaceous, flowering plants were "geographically limited on the landscape", and so it is likely that this dinosaur fed on the predominant plants of the era: ferns, cycads and conifers. It would have used its sharp beak to bite off the leaves or needles and chop them up to be swallowed.

## JPInstitute.com Description

Archaeoceratops is a very old member of the family of horned dinosaurs which includes Triceratops. It is from China and was much smaller than its later relatives. This dinosaur was discovered recently and it has not been studied enough to know a great deal about its life. Scientists are not even sure of the time period in which it lived. It is possible that it coexisted with the recently discovered Zuniceratops in North America, which is another early member of this family.

This dinosaur is considered a very important discovery. Known from two partial skeletons, including substantial skull materials, it is an important branch in the ceratopsian family tree. It has a relatively short frill, but the skull is fairly large relative to overall body size. Its appearance is close to a larger Microceratops.

## Dinosaur Field Guide Description

Archaeoceratops("ancient horned-face lizard") had powerful jaws and a beak that came to a narrow point. With such a narrow bite, it had to be very picky about what it ate. It probably fed on very specific plants, or certain parts of one plant, A powerful bite is needed to snip off the hard parts of plants, like bark and wooden branches. It is also very helpful for defensive purposes, Archaeoceratops is one of the earliest horned dinosaurs from Asia, if not the earliest. Only two skeletons have been "published" so far, so questions (and there are many!) about its age must wait for further study by both paleontologists and geologists.

### Fun Facts

This small dinosaur might have been able to outrun a teacher. (How fast can your teacher pun?)

### Trivia

Even though Archeoceratops's skull was the same size as a dog's, it had much more powerful jaws.

## Links

http://web.archive.org/web/20040805172650fw\_/http://www.jpinstitute.com/dinopedia/dinocards/dc\_archa1.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20080507211447/http://kids.yahoo.com/dinosaurs/186--Archaeoceratops

## References

1. ↑ F. Tang, Z. -X. Luo, Z. -H. Zhou, H. -L. You, J. A. Georgi, Z. -L. Tang and X. -Z. Wang. (2001). "Biostratigraphy and palaeoenvironment of the dinosaur-bearing sediments in Lower Cretaceous of Mazongshan area, Gansu Province, China." *Cretaceous Research*, **22**(1): 115-129. Template:Doi