Ceratops

Figure of the holotype of Marsh's first description (1888 )

• North America (Montana)

Ceratops is a little-known genus of bird Beck dinosaurs ( ornithopods ) from the group of Ceratopsidae.

From Ceratops only fragments of the skull are known, namely the condyles of the occipital bone ( occipital condyles ) and a paired horn root. The findings suggesting an association with the Ceratopsidae suspect a more accurate systematic classification is not possible, so that the Fund will be listed as a nomen dubium.

The fossil remains of Ceratops were found in the Judith River Formation in Montana, USA, and first described in 1888 by Othniel Charles Marsh. The name comes from the Greek and means " horn face". In line with this, several other names were later marked by ceratopsian, Protoceratops and Triceratops about. Type species is Ceratops montanus, along with a number of other species have been described, all of which are valid today. The finds are (late Campanian ) dated to the Late Cretaceous to an age 76-72 million years.

Marsh made ​​Ceratops to type for Dinosauriertaxa the Ceratopsia and Ceratopsidae. Grammatically correct the forms " Ceratopia " and " Ceratopidae " (each without "s" ), many scientific papers, however, continue to use the incorrect embossed Marsh names.