Sinoceratops

*Sinoceratops zhuchengensis*

***Sinoceratops*** is a Ceratopsian from Late Cretaceous China. It measured up to 20 feet long and weighed around 2.5 metric tons. It would have lived along with many dinosaurs, including *Zhuchengtyrannus* and *Huxiasaurus*. Its name means "Chinese Horned Face". It was discovered in the Xingezhuang formation.

## Discovery

The holotype specimen ZCDM V0010, consisting a partial skull, including a braincase, was in the summer of 2008 recovered at the Xingezhuang Formation of the Wangshi Group in Shandog, China. The specimen was collected in fluvial sediments that were deposited during the Campanian-Maastrichtian stages of the Cretaceous period, approximately 72-66 million years ago. Two other specimens have been recovered from the same formation. Specimen ZCDM V0010 is a partial skull that consists of the skull roof and most of the braincase, and ZCDM V0012 represents a partial braincase.

The discovery was significant, because it represented the first ceratopsid known from China, and possibly the only ceratopsid from Asia. The only other possible Asian ceratopsid is Turanoceratops, but recently, its identification as ceratopsid has been questioned.

## Description

Sinoceratops is most known for its vast Centrosaurine-look, with a singular large horn protruding from its nasal area, and its ornamental frill. Sinoceratops would've been probably the most common Ceratopsian in its area, considering the lack of Ceratopsids in Asia. Two holes in its face served an unknown purpose, and it walked on stout legs, like a rhino's.

## Classification

Sinoceratops belongs to the Ceratopsidae family, because of its rhino-build, and ornamental frill and horns.

## Paleoecology

**Sinoceratops** is known from the Xingezhuang Formation of southern China. It is known from skull material. Alongside it, in the Formation, lived Shantungosaurus, a very common hadrosaurid to which most of the material has been assigned. Zhuchengceraptos, an Asian Leptoceratopsid, and Huaxiaosaurus, a possible older individual of Shantungosaurus. other possible remains have been assigned to Zhuchengosaurus, a probable junior synonym of Shantungosaurus, and material tentatively assigned to Tyrannosaurus.

## Appearance in Jurassic Park and other media

### *Jurassic Park*

* In Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, it is revealed that there are surviving *Sinoceratops* populations remaining on Isla Nublar after the 2015 Incident, but will now face an impending danger, alongside many other creatures, in the form of an erupting volcano. These clones look incredibly similar to their real-life counterparts except the clones has holes in its fenestrae, which no ceratopsian had, a taller frill, and two spikes on the center of the frill similar to that of a *Pachyrhinosaurus*. It was meant to be *Pachyrhinosaurus* in the film, but it was later changed to *Sinoceratops* for as yet unknown reasons.
* *Sinoceratops* will be in Jurassic World: Alive, based on the Fallen Kingdom dinosaur, it will be an Epic dinosaur.
* *Sinoceratops* will appear in a free *Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom* update for *Jurassic World Evolution*, based on the *Fallen Kingdom* dinosaur.
* Sinoceratops makes a large appearance in the animated series, Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous, as a peaceful yet provoked dinosaur, and is often seen in the series. It has different coloring than its green counterpart in the 2018 film.
* Sinoceratops might also appear in Jurassic World Dominion, although debates are still not confirmed.
* Sinoceratops appeared in the game Jurassic World: The Game as a tournament creature.

## References

1. https://archive.org/details/dinosaursmostcom00holt/page/47/mode/2up