Tiniest Intact Ceratopsid
(Image credit: Philip J. Currie, Robert Holmes, Michael Ryan Clive Coy, Eva B. Koppelhus)
The smallest intact ceratopsid skeleton was recently unearthed in Alberta
Rich fossil site
(Image credit: Philip J. Currie, Robert Holmes, Michael Ryan Clive Coy, Eva B. Koppelhus)
The fossil was unearthed in Dinosaur National Park in Canada, a rich site for Cretaceous Era fossils
First impression
(Image credit: Philip J. Currie, Robert Holmes, Michael Ryan Clive Coy, Eva B. Koppelhus)
The team first noticed the edge of the frill sticking out of the ground. When they investigated further, they realized it was a tiny ceratopsid, just about 5-feet long.
Mostly intact
(Image credit: Philip J. Currie, Robert Holmes, Michael Ryan Clive Coy, Eva B. Koppelhus)
The skeleton was mostly intact, with just the front limbs missing. Because of its excellent preservation, the team believes the toddler dino drowned in a stream and was quickly buried in sediments, where it remained undisturbed for millions of years.
Chasmosaurus
(Image credit: Philip J. Currie, Robert Holmes, Michael Ryan Clive Coy, Eva B. Koppelhus)
The dino likely was a chasmosaurus.
Dino growth rates
(Image credit: Philip J. Currie, Robert Holmes, Michael Ryan Clive Coy, Eva B. Koppelhus)
The new discovery will allow the researchers to better understand how the horned dinosaurs grew over time.