| Pentaceratops | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Name | Pentaceratops | |||
| Name Translation | "five horned face" | |||
| Period | Cretaceous (135-75.8 mya) | |||
Pentaceratops, meaning "five horned face", was an ornischian (bird-hipped) dinosaur, and was part of the family Ceratopsia. In the brief time that it roamed the earth, Pentaceratops, like the other members of its brood, were highly successful, and for a time, the earth was overrun by millions of these bulky tank-like creatures. Pentaceratops, despite its name, only had three true horns. the other two were no more than elongated cheekbones, a feature which was a common characteristic of many other ceratopsians. Pentaceratops, as with all horned dinosaurs, had a curved, toothless beak which it used to nip leaves of plants. Also one of Pentaceratops' , and indeed, all of its relative's, defining features was its large ornate crest, which was used both to protect from and deter predators, and to use in courtship and mating rituals.