Fun Titanoceratops Facts For Kids

This ceratopsian dinosaur was world-famous! They were known to have lived about 75 million years ago in the Late Campanian age of the Late Cretaceous period in North America and parts of New Mexico.

The fossils of this largest ever known ceratopsian were discovered in the upper Fruitland Formation and lower Maastrichtian rocks of the Kirtland Formation.

The fossil material of these specimens included a lower jaw, a partial skull, and some cranial remains.

The name 'Titanoceratops' was given by Nicholas R. Longrich for the horned skull and the name literally means 'Titanic horn face'. The discovery of these specimens was also made by R. Longrich when news about a partial skeleton unearthed in New Mexico was published in scientific papers in 1941.

The dinosaur material was not identified correctly and the reconstructed skeleton was put up for public display at the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History under the name Pentaceratops!

When Longrich studied the skeleton, he further concluded that this dinosaur was very much different from Pentaceratops sternbergi and went on to say that they were in fact predecessors of the Triceratops and Torosaurus.

Although similar to the Triceratops in appearance, the skull had a pointed snout, a circular thin frill, and big, sharp horns.

The skull was the deadliest-looking part of their bodies.

It could have completely demolished anything that came its way. According to Longrich's research, this horned dinosaur was a more 'graceful' version of the Triceratops.

The type species of this dinosaur with a giant skull was named Titanoceratops ouranos (t. ouranos) and the holotype specimen was OMNH 10165. The holotype skeleton of this specimen OMNH 10165 consisted of a partially complete skull, some forelimbs, a small part of the frill, a lower mandible, and some vertebrae.

There is also speculation among old scientists that this earliest known member of the range of Triceratopsini might have evolved way earlier than previously thought.

if you'd like to discover some more interesting facts about similar dinosaurs, check out our Orodromeus fun facts for kids or Atrociraptor interesting facts for kids that you're sure to love!

Titanoceratops Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Titanoceratops'?

Titanoceratops is pronounced as 'Tie-tan-o-seh-rah-tops'. The fossils of this huge dinosaur that weighed tons were excavated from two formations which were the upper Fruitland Formation and the Kirtland Formation.

This largest known ceratopsian to have ever walked the Earth has had a history of constant speculation and research is still making efforts to understand them in the deepest way possible. They were misidentified as Pentaceratops species since they were closely related in appearance.

What type of dinosaur was a Titanoceratops?

The horned Titanoceratops was a type of ceratopsian dinosaur. They were believed to have lived about 75 million years ago in the Campanian age of the Late Cretaceous period of North America and parts of New Mexico.

They were described in a journal written by Longrich named Cretaceous Research paper to have one of the largest heads seen in any dinosaur! A type species of this genus was named Titanoceratops ouranos.

In which geological period did the Titanoceratops roam the Earth?

This horned dinosaur that was massive in size roamed the Earth during the Campanian Age of the Late Cretaceous period in North America and parts of New Mexico. Nicholas R. Longrich had discovered the skeleton of this dinosaur when he heard about it in the scientific press papers.

The reconstructed skull of the skeleton indicated that it must have been the longest skull seen in any land vertebrate.

When did the Titanoceratops become extinct?

The Titanoceratops animal became extinct about 66 million years ago, just like a variety of other dinosaur species. The reasons for their demise could have been due to volcanic eruptions, floods, earthquakes, meteor hits, and other such natural disasters.

Where did a Titanoceratops live?

The Titanoceratops animal which is to be about 256 in (6.5 m) in length, that closely resembled a Pentaceratops, lived in a terrestrial habitat.

What was a Titanoceratops' habitat?

These huge herbivorous horned dinosaurs made their homes in habitats like grasslands, deserts, shorelines, wetlands, and forests. They would have preferred living in these terrestrial habitats since the access to food would have been a lot easier and they could have also been able to ward off many large predators.

Who did a Titanoceratops live with?

It is currently not known whether these horned dinosaur species lived in groups or not due to the lack of sufficient data and evidence. However, being plant-eaters, they would have definitely lived in small groups either grazing together or shifting habitats from one place to another.

How long did a Titanoceratops live?

This dinosaur of the Ceratopsian genus that closely resembled the Pentaceratops would have probably lived for about 70-80 years, although the exact number of years is not currently unknown.

How did they reproduce?

There is very little information available on how these giant dinosaur specimens reproduced. What is known and determined by many scientists is that they gave birth by laying eggs so that reproduction was oviparous among these animals. The young would have also become independent at an early age.

Titanoceratops Fun Facts

What did a Titanoceratops look like?

The Titanoceratops unearthed in the Fruitland and Kirtland formations resembled a more complex version of the present-day rhinoceros. This horned dinosaur was the largest known ceratopsian, closely similar, and probably evolved from the famous Triceratops.

Known to have lived in the late Campanian Age of the Late Cretaceous period, the fossil material was discovered by Nicholas R. Longrich when in 1941, information about these horned species was mentioned in some in-press papers.

The partial skeleton was reconstructed with a new skull and put up for display at the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. The description stated that they were a species of Pentaceratops or Pentaceratops sternbergi.

But Longrich went on to study the huge Titanoceratops skeletal structure and listed around 22 features that distinguished it from the Pentaceratops in the journal Cretaceous research. He said it was more closely related to the group of horned dinosaurs called Triceratopsini.

This was why he called these dinosaurs Titanoceratops. The Titanoceratops skull was the largest part of the body with two big horns and a small horn on it.

It also had a circular frill probably acting as a shield.

The mouth was beak-like, making it easy to pick at plants and tough leaves. They had a short tail and stubby elephant-like legs.

How many bones did a Titanoceratops have?

It is currently not known how many bones the giant Titanoceratops had but considering their size and collected fossil remains, they would have definitely had over 100 bones for sure!

How did they communicate?

These dinosaurs communicated through the use of vocal and visual displays. Loud growls, calls, postures, and the use of the materials in the environment would have been ways in which this horned dinosaur communicated.

How big was a Titanoceratops?

Closely resembling Pentaceratops, the Titanceratops size was gigantic and weighed tons. They were described to be about 256 in (6.5 m) in length and in 98.4 in (2.5 m) in height. The size was closely related to the Triceratops and Torosaurus.

How fast could a Titanoceratops move?

The exact Titanoceratops speed is not known but these animals would have been fast in movement, considering their short stubby legs.

How much did a Titanoceratops weigh?

The Titanoceratops animal weighed tons and was very heavy. Their weight was about 15,000 lb (6,803.8 kg), five times lesser than a Sei whale!

What were the male and female names of the species?

There were no specific male or female names for this giant species that were previously or earlier thought to be Pentaceratops. They were simply called Titanoceratops. Nicholas Longrich was responsible for the discovery and naming of this horned dinosaur.

What would you call a baby Titanoceratops?

A baby Titanoceratops specimen is called a hatchling or a nestling, just like the babies of all other dinosaur species.

What did they eat?

This dinosaur that had unique features was a herbivore. They relied on various plant matter for food.

How aggressive were they?

This specimen, although having some visually terrifying features, was not really aggressive in behavior as stated by some scientists. However, like every other animal to have walked the Earth, they would have displayed a certain level of aggression if they or their habitat were threatened in any way.

Did you know...

These dinosaurs, whose fossil material has been unearthed in the Fruitland and Kirtland formations were only discovered recently although they were found earlier on and put up on display under the wrong as they were misidentified. This specimen was similar in appearance to the Triceratops.

How big was a Titanoceratops compared to other dinosaurs?

The Titanoceratops animal was quite big in size. However, when compared to other dinosaurs they were quite small since they were some massive dinosaurs in their day and age!

What was unique about the Titanoceratops?

This animal had a unique frill surrounding the skull which acted as a shield from predators!

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 Homalocephale interesting facts for kids, or Puertasaurus fun facts for kids.

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

Main image Lineart by Robinson Kunz and color by Rebecca Slater.