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World's Largest Horned Dinosaur Found

Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News

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On Display

The beast also had what Eberth described as "a standard issue Triceratops frill" at the back of its head. The Triceratops frill, however, had little toothy spikes that poked out on top. These spikes were "more flattened and spindle-like" in Eotriceratops.

The new dino preceded its more famous relative by a million years. Until its discovery, not much was known about dinosaurs from Alberta and North America 69 to 67 million years ago, so it fills an important gap. Just a few million years later, all dinosaurs went extinct.

Before the find, scientists theorized that dinosaurs gradually became bigger over time. Now that theory is under question, since size changes -- probably induced by environmental and climactic conditions -- didn't always follow distinct patterns.

Eric Lund, a University of Utah paleontologist, thinks the new dino is "really cool."

Lund told Discovery News, "If this specimen is truly an early relative of Triceratops, it gives us insight into how this group of animals evolved over time."

He agreed that it "fills an information gap" between early and late chasmosaurines, an animal group that included both long and short frilled species. Members of this group typically were plant eaters that probably used their frills for mating and territorial displays.

Eotriceratops xerinsularis is now on display for human onlookers in the Royal Tyrrell Museum's new gallery, "Ceratopsians: the Horned Herbivores."

Related Links:

Jennifer Viegas' blog: Born Animal

Royal Tyrrell Museum

Canadian Museum of Nature

Triceratops

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World's Largest Horned Dinosaur Found

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