Fun Ojoceratops Facts For Kids

Are you interested to know about the Ojoceratops? If yes, then you're in for a treat as we are going to learn about the Ojoceratops. This is a genus of non-avian ceratopsian dinosaurs that lived during the Cretaceous period, and it had a close resemblance to that of the Triceratops. Scientists assume that the species would have had horns on its face and a similar-looking body to that of the Triceratops. Robert Sullivan and Spencer Lucas were the ones to shed light on this dinosaur in 2010, and they also assigned the name and taxonomical breakdown to the dinosaur.

Like other ceratopsian dinosaurs, this one may have been a herbivorous animal that lived on plants found nearby. A single identified specimen of this species was found from New Mexico, USA, and it pointed towards a frilled dinosaur. We are yet to know a lot about this species, and it's often assumed to be synonymous with either Triceratops or eotriceratops. Much of the information has been derived after analyzing the fossils of this species. So, keep reading to learn more Ojoceratops facts.

Also, check out our articles on gryposaurus and mansourasaurus to know more about dinosaurs.

How do you pronounce 'Ojoceratops'?

The name of this dinosaur genus is pronounced as o-joe-seh-rah-tops. Its name stands for Ojo Alamo horned face as the bones were discovered from the Upper Cretaceous Ojo Alamo Formation (Naashoibito Member) that spans over New Mexico, USA.

What type of dinosaur was an Ojoceratops?

The Ojoceratops are ceratopsian dinosaurs, which is a group known to be a herbivorous beaked species that lived during the Cretaceous period. It's assumed that the Ojoceratops walked on all four of its limbs.

In which geological period did the Ojoceratops roam the earth?

From the fossil remains, Robert Sullivan and Spencer Lucas concluded that the time period must have been around 69 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period from the remains found in the Upper Cretaceous Ojo Alamo Formation (Naashoibito Member). However, newer studies suggest that the dinosaur might have lived more than 75 million years ago. The stage is usually thought to be that of the Maastrichtian age.

When did the Ojoceratops become extinct?

We cannot really guess the exact time when these dinosaurs may have gone extinct from New Mexico, since a lot of the information we have are derived from the fossils of Ojoceratops. But, the assumptions of scientists put it at around 69-75 million years ago. However, even though these species are put close to Triceratops, the latter dinosaur is said to have been younger than the Ojoceratops. Moreover, the Ojoceratops are said to have had a more squared-off frill compared to the Triceratops.

Where did an Ojoceratops live?

The fossil of this species was found in the Ojo Alamo Formation that's situated in New Mexico, United States.

What was an Ojoceratops's habitat?

Well, we don't know much about the habitat of Ojoceratops as only one fossil has been found to date from the Upper Cretaceous Ojo Alamo Formation (Naashoibito Member). Having said that, as a herbivorous species, it would have preferred a terrestrial habitat with plants that it could have eaten.

Who did an Ojoceratops live with?

Even though we know that dinosaurs lived millions of years ago, we are still not sure what the social behavior of these animals would have been. Having said that, the Ojoceratops are said to have lived in a time period when another similar species, eotriceratops, also roamed the earth.

How long did an Ojoceratops live?

As only a fossil from the frill has been discovered in Upper Cretaceous Ojo Alamo Formation (Naashoibito Member), it's really hard to assume the lifespan of this species. We can extrapolate this information from the fossils of other dinosaurs. Some other dinosaurs like that of the sauropods usually lived for around 70-80 years. Yes, this can seem a bit low compared to what we have been meant to believe, but it's a common misconception to assume that dinosaurs lived for hundreds of years.

How did they reproduce?

Like most reptiles of today, these dinosaurs were also oviparous in nature. Hence, the female reproduced by laying eggs, and the fertilization after mating mainly took place internally. The process was not different for the Ojoceratops fowleri, but we don't have enough fossil remains to prove how the reproduction actually happened.

What did an Ojoceratops look like?

Well, when you imagine this dinosaur from New Mexico, think about the more popular Triceratops, but with more boxy frills. Just like them, the Ojoceratops also had horns, a stout but big body along a short tail. But, all these are just assumptions, as we haven't been able to find any conclusive bones of this species that can tell us about the exact appearance.

How many bones did an Ojoceratops have?

We don't know anything about the number of bones that these dinosaurs may have had in its body. Scientists were only able to retrieve a part of a frill from New Mexico, which gave us most of the information about the species. After studying that bones, Robert Sullivan and Spencer Lucas were the ones to assign it the genus Ojoceratops and give it the name of Ojoceratops fowleri in 2010. They may have also consulted some other bone remains, but it hasn't been confirmed to be from this very species. Another palaeontologist, Thomas Holtz, believes this species to be similar to that of Eotriceratops, a southern genus of similar dinosaurs. On the other hand, in 2011, Nick Longrich opined the Ojoceratops may have just been a junior synonym for Triceratops.

How did they communicate?

Even though we don't know about the exact form of communication preferred by the Ojoceratops fowleri, it can be said that the dinosaurs depended on a mix of vocal and physical communication.

How big was an Ojoceratops?

Scientists couldn't have possibly found out the height of a species based on just a single bone finding, and that too from a frill. Having said that, some sources believe the Ojoceratops fowleri size to have been around up to 19.6 ft (6 m). Compared to it, the average Triceratops had a size of around 26-30 ft (7.9-9 m).

How fast could an Ojoceratops move?

We don't know the speed of this species, but we can assume that it had a slow gait because of its heavy body, like that of a Triceratops. And, Triceratops usually had a speed of around 20 mph (32 kph).

How much did an Ojoceratops weigh?

We are yet to know about the weight of dinosaurs from this genus. But, it's close relative, the Triceratops had an average weight of around 13,227-26,455 lb (6,000-12,000 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

There are no separate names for the male and female of this dinosaur species from New Mexico.

What would you call a baby Ojoceratops?

The baby of an Ojoceratops fowleri would have been known as a hatchling.

What did they eat?

The Ojoceratops have been defined as a ceratopsian dinosaur; hence it used to be herbivorous in nature. Even though we aren't sure about its diet, the animal would have sustained on the plants available in New Mexico at that time. Maybe, just like the Triceratops, it would have depended on low-growing vegetation for easy reach.

How aggressive were they?

When we think about the Triceratops or the Ojoceratops, it's easy to assume that these burly species would have been aggressive, especially due to the presence of horns. However, like most other dinosaurs, it would have been a fairly calm species. The horns would have been mostly used as protection from other bigger dinosaurs.

Did you know...

In the taxonomical division, the Ojoceratops have been placed in the subfamily of Chasmosaurinae and tribe Triceratopsini.

What does the term Ojoceratops mean?

The name Ojoceratops stands for Ojo Alamo horned face, as the bone was found from the Ojo Alamo Formation of New Mexico, the United States of America.

What is special about Ojoceratops?

The thing about these dinosaurs is that they have horns, just like the Triceratops. But, it's said to have been present before the Triceratops walked this earth. The main difference lay in the boxy frill present in the Ojoceratops fowleri.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these herrerasaurus facts, or carcharodontosaurus fun facts for kids.

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

Main image by Nobu Tamura

Second image by Yusuke-rex