ceratopsian

American  

[ser-uh-top-see-uhn] / ˌsɛr əˈtɒp si ən /

noun

1. any of several four-footed, herbivorous dinosaurs of the suborder Ceratopsia, of the late Cretaceous Period, having an enlarged skull with a beak, a large perforated frill at the back, and, in some species, one or three horns.

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ceratopsian Scientific  

/ sĕr′ə-tŏp′sē-ən /

1. Any of various dinosaurs of the group Ceratopsia of the late Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. Ceratopsians were ornithischians characterized by skulls with a parrotlike beak, a broad bony frill extending back over the neck, and often one or more horns. Most ceratopsians walked on all fours and grew to medium or large size. Triceratops was a ceratopsian.

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Etymology

Origin of ceratopsian

First recorded in 1905–10; from New Latin Ceratopsi(a) ( see cerat-, -opsis, -ia) + -an

Example Sentences

Denver Fowler, a paleontologist at the Dickinson Museum in North Dakota who was not involved in the research, said that many ceratopsian species have been based on limited remains, leading to the potential for overinterpretation.

From New York Times • Jun. 20, 2024

Bisticeratops was a horned, plant-eating dinosaur, or ceratopsian, from the same group as the famous triceratops, with an estimated body length of about 18 feet.

From Washington Post • Sep. 3, 2022

Behrensmeyer, an expert on fossil preservation, says the ceratopsian fossils suggest those animals were present on the landscape in the weeks or months before impact.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 22, 2021

Dino Hunters With winter looming, Clayton and Luke race to excavate two massive triceratops skulls, while the Harris-Bolan crew searches for a missing femur from their rare ceratopsian.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 3, 2021

If ceratopsian horns evolved within the context of sexual selection, how do we explain their reduction and loss in some lineages?

From Scientific American • Jan. 5, 2012