Sinoceratops

Sinoceratops was a large ceratopsid dinosaur discovered in the Late Cretaceous rocks of Shandong Province, China. Measuring about six metres in length and weighing around two tonnes, it rivalled large modern rhinos in stature. The discovery of Sinoceratops caused a major stir in vertebrate palaeontology, as ceratopsids had long been thought to be entirely restricted to North America. Its skull featured a prominent, curving nose horn, reduced brow horns, and a series of forward-curving, hook-like hornlets lining the margin of its neck frill. Unlike many of its North American relatives, Sinoceratops reached a notably large size quite late in its evolutionary history. Its existence in eastern Asia demonstrates that horned dinosaurs crossed the Beringian land bridge between continents during the Late Cretaceous, confirming complex faunal interchanges between Asia and North America shortly before the end-Cretaceous mass extinction.

It is the first and only definitive centrosaurine ceratopsid discovered outside of North America.

Where and when

Sinoceratops lived in the Late Cretaceous, from 73.5 to 72.5 million years ago (Campanian age). Its remains come from China, in the Xingezhuang Formation.

The numbers

Length 6 m (estimates run from 5.5 to 6.5 m). Mass about 2.2 t. Hip height about 2 m. That is 3.5 human-lengths, or 0.54 of a double-decker bus. These are estimates from partial skeleton; fields marked estimated by the site are length, mass, first ma, last ma, hip height.

Compare Sinoceratops with a bus Place on the timeline