Fun Nasutoceratops Facts For Kids

Nasutoceratops were first identified in 2006 by Erik Lund and have been defined as a large herbivorous dinosaur class that was a relative of the well-renowned Triceratops dinosaurs. Nasutoceratops are known for their giant nose, which is the reason behind their Latin name Nasutoceratops titusi, which translates to 'big-nose horned face'.

Nasutoceratops were classified under the ceratopsian dinosaurs which include most of the horned quadrupeds that roamed the earth millions of years ago.

Based on scientific researches, it is estimated that these dinosaurs were herbivorous in nature and led a docile life, but were fierce in their approach towards predators as they used the large horns on their face to thwart off much larger predators than them.

As of now, there has been only one instance of a specimen being observed, and most of the research done on this dinosaur is based on that specific specimen which has led to the discovery of various facts and information on them.

If you like these facts about the Nasutoceratops, make sure you check out facts about Diabloceratops and Psittacosaurus too!

Nasutoceratops Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Nasutoceratops'?

These horned dinosaurs were members of the large ceratopsian species of dinosaurs and were named Nasutoceratops, which is pronounced as 'Na-su-to-seh-ra-tops'.

This dinosaur species were large-nosed and walked on four legs, making them members of the vast family of ‬centrosaurine‭ ‬ceratopsian group of dinosaurs that existed in the world many million years ago.

What type of dinosaur was a Nasutoceratops?

Nasutoceratops belong to the Ceratopsians group of dinosaurs that were known for being quadrupedal herbivores from the Upper Cretaceous period. This group also consisted of members like the Triceratops, and the Styracosaurus alongside the Centrosaurus, all of which were known for their horned face structure and a heavy skull.

In which geological period did the Nasutoceratops roam the earth?

According to researches and various studies based on the discovered skeletal remains, including the skull and partial postcranial remains, this dinosaur species was estimated to occur on the continent of North America, dating back to the late Campanian stage to the late cretaceous period, about 75 million years ago.

When did the Nasutoceratops become extinct?

Due to a lack of accurate data, the exact timeline of the extinction of this dinosaur species is unknown, however, it can be estimated that this ceratopsian species survived from 70-83 million years ago, after which they ceased to exist, and slowly evolved to become larger or smaller in size and kept occurring on the continent of North America.

Where did a Nasutoceratops live?

These ceratopsians roamed the world for quite a long time and records have been dated back to the late cretaceous period where these horned dinosaurs were found in grassland and forest regions.

The only known specimen of the Nasutoceratops skeleton has been discovered in the Kaiparowits formation, which is located in modern-day southern Utah.

This formation was deposited during the Campanian stage of the late cretaceous period and this formation was also responsible for the split that North America saw as it was divided into Laramidia in the west and Appalachia in the east.

What was a Nasutoceratops' habitat?

Nasutoceratops, like most members belonging to the family ceratopsian, preferred a wet and humid climate that housed a diverse range of plants and animals.

The plateaus on which these dinosaurs occurred were ancient floodplains surrounded by large channels, and wetlands including swamps, lakes, and ponds, and highlands in both the Laramidia and Appalachia habitat ranges in what is now modern-day south Utah.

This habitat was shared with other species of animals like crocodiles and other dinosaur species like the Hadrosaurs that existed on earth during that period.

Who did a Nasutoceratops live with?

Due to a lack of information, it is tough to state whether the Nasutoceratops were solitary in nature or preferred to live in small groups.

Thanks to the discovered skeletal remains, it can be stated that throughout their history of the late Cretaceous period, these ceratopsians shared their habitat ranges with other dinosaur species like the Teratophoneus, Parasaurolophus, and the Ornithomimus, which may or may not have been their predators.

How long did a Nasutoceratops live?

The lifespan of the Nasutoceratops is currently unknown and there is not enough data to make any sort of assumptions of how long these animals lived their lives.

How did they reproduce?

The reproduction process of this centrosaurine is unknown due to which facts about their sexual maturity, gestation period, sexual habits cannot be stated. However, it is assumed that this centrosaurine was an egg-laying animal.

Nasutoceratops Fun Facts

What did a Nasutoceratops look like?

Nasutoceratops were large, terrestrial, quadrupedal animals that were known for their short-snout and 3.2 ft (1 m) long horns that curved over the eyes, like the ones that we can see on the modern-day buffalo species.

A small bony frill could be found at the base of their heavy skull with the frill being circular in shape at the middle point.

The edges of the frill had osteoderms and the rear frill was epiparietal on the midline.

The horn on the nose of this dinosaur was narrow and low. The snout of this ceratopsian had an elongated base which was mostly curved in a U-shape.

Nasutoceratops were seen as unique due to the presence of pneumatic elements that were found in the nasal bones of these dinosaurs, and according to studies based on the Nasutoceratops skull, it is estimated that their skull had a total length of 4.9 ft (1.5 m) with the horns taking up a majority of the chunk of the skull.

How many bones did a Nasutoceratops have?

The bone count of the Nasutoceratops is unknown to the exact number. The only discovered bones of this horned dinosaur are the skull and remains of the partial post-cranial bones.

It is known that these dinosaurs had bones that formed the nose horn and the frill was made up of parietals and squamosal, which acted as corners to the skull.

How did they communicate?

The communication method of the Nasutoceratops is unknown due to which it can be tough to estimate how they conversed with each other or their young ones.

How big was a Nasutoceratops?

Nasutoceratops were medium-sized dinosaurs and compared to larger predators like the tyrannosaurs rex, were heavier built due to which they lacked fast mobilization.

According to most researchers based on the history of this animal through their skeletal remains, it is estimated that these creatures achieved a total body length of 14.7 ft (4.5 m) from head to tail, with the skull taking up a large chunk of the head as it stood at a length of almost 3.2 ft (1 m), and stood at a height of 4.9 ft (1.5 m).

How fast could a Nasutoceratops move?

The movement speed of the Nasutoceratops is currently unknown, however, it can be estimated through their build, that these dinosaurs were slow movers as they had a large body mass.

How much did a Nasutoceratops weigh?

Nasutoceratops were one of the heavy dinosaurs and reached a maximum bodyweight of 4999.8 lb (2267.9 kg) as adults.

What were the male and female names of the species?

There has been no record of any specific name being assigned to either the male or the female Nasutoceratops.

What would you call a baby Nasutoceratops?

A baby Nasutoceratops would be called a baby dinosaur as there are no specific names assigned to them.

What did they eat?

Nasutoceratops roamed the grassland and forest regions of the modern-day southern Utah region and had a diet that consisted of plants and leaves as they were herbivorous in nature and shared this habitat with other herbivorous dinosaur species.

How aggressive were they?

It is tough to state whether these animals were aggressive or not as there is a lack of evident data to base opinions on.

Did you know...

Nasutoceratops have made several appearances in modern-day forms of entertainment in various games like Jurassic World: Alive and Jurassic World: Evolution.

Discovery of the Nasutoceratops

Nasutoceratops were first discovered by University of Utah student Eric Lund in 2006. Nasutoceratops became the second genus of the centrosaurine dinosaurs that were discovered in the southwest of the USA, with the Diabloceratops named three years earlier.

The skeletal remains of the Nasutoceratops were found in the Kaiparowits Formation in southern Utah. Additional specimens of the dinosaur were found subsequently in the following years that created a base for the history of this dinosaur.

Prior to the studies done by scientists Scott D. Sampson, Lund, Katherine E. Clayton, Mark A. Loewen, and Andrew A. Farke they were simply known as Nasutoceratops. But after the research by Sampson, Loewen, and Lund, these dinosaurs were put under the type species of Nasutoceratops titusi.

What dinosaur has the biggest horn?

According to the studies based on the fossilized remains of other quadrupedal, the Triceratops is believed to have the largest horn, which took the formation of a nose horn. To this day, the triceratops still holds the record for the largest horn in the history of dinosaurs at a length of 3.9 ft (1.2 m).

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other creatures from our Bravoceratops facts, or Zuniceratops facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable triceratops skeleton coloring pages.