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Triceratops
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Triceratops was about 30 feet (9.1 meters) long, 10 feet (3 meters) tall, and weighed up to 11 tons. Its skull alone (including the neck frill) was over 6 feet (1.8 meters) long. Hundreds of Triceratops fossils were first found in the late 19th century by famous American fossil-hunters, Othniel C. Marsh and Barnum Brown. Marsh chose the name Triceratops in 1889, and it means "three horned face". Because of the number of fossils found, and the fact that they are often found together, Triceratops is thought to have been a common dinosaur, that lived in herds. The three horns on its face were probably used for protection. The neck frill, being solid bone, gave further protection. There were at least 15 different species of Triceratops, and some species had bony knobs set around the frill, which offered further protection still. Many Triceratops skulls show damage to the horns or the frills. This has led some scientists to suggest that Triceratops may have had sparring contests by locking horns and pushing with the head shield, in a similar way to how male deer spar today. The use of the horns as a weapon, would probably have limited to use against real enemies such as Tyrannosaurus Rex. Triceratops has been designated the official state dinosaur of Wyoming, since 1994. 
Triceratops Timeline:Triceratops was a herbivore (plant-eater) that lived from 72 to 65 million years ago
Related Information & ResourcesSee Also
Triceratops Facts
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