Avaceratops

Avaceratops is a genus of small ceratopsian dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, around 83 to 72 million years ago and was a member of the Ceratopsidae family. Avaceratops remains have been discovered in North America, specifically in the states of Montana and Wyoming.

Avaceratops was a relatively small dinosaur compared to some of its larger ceratopsian relatives. It likely reached lengths of around 6 to 7 feet (1.8 to 2.1 meters) and stood at a height of about 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 meters). It had a typical ceratopsian body plan with a bulky body, four sturdy legs, and a relatively large head featuring a bony frill at the back and a beak-like structure at the front.

Like other ceratopsians, Avaceratops possessed horns on its head. While the exact horn configuration might vary between individuals, it typically had small brow horns and a larger nasal horn. Its frill, a decorative bony plate extending from the back of the skull, likely played a role in display and communication among individuals.

The diet of the Avaceratops was mainly plants and vegetation. The beak at the front of its mouth would have been used to crop and chew plant material.

]The scientific name Avaceratops is derived from the Latin words “Ava” (for Judith River Formation, where the first fossil was discovered), “ceratops” (meaning “horned face” in Greek), and “ops” (meaning “face”). The type species is Avaceratops lammersi, named in honor of the amateur paleontologist George Lammers, who discovered the first fossils in Montana in the 1980s.