Styracosaurus — the horned dinosaur with a crown of frill spikes

When and where

Styracosaurus lived roughly 75 million years ago in what is now Canada and the northern United States. Its fossils come mainly from the Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta, a rock layer that preserves a rich river valley ecosystem during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous.

How we know

In 1913, paleontologist Lawrence Lambe of the Geological Survey of Canada described the first Styracosaurus fossils from what is now Dinosaur Provincial Park. The type species, S. albertensis, is named for Alberta. At least one additional species has been proposed based on frill differences, though these are debated. Bone beds suggest it moved in herds. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styracosaurus

What set it apart

Styracosaurus carried four to six long parietal spikes that jutted backward from its neck frill, giving the animal a crown-like silhouette. A single horn up to 60 centimetres long rose from its nose, with smaller cheek horns below the eyes. The body was stocky and low-slung, with a bulky torso built for digesting fibrous plants. The horns and frill likely served display and species recognition rather than direct combat.

For collectors and classrooms

A Styracosaurus figurine makes an eye-catching addition for collectors who want a ceratopsian outside the usual Triceratops shelf. Models recreate the dramatic frill spikes and heavy build that make this genus so distinct. Browse Styracosaurus figures on Amazon