Fun Unescoceratops Facts For Kids

Unescoceratops belong to the Leptoceratopsidae classification of dinosaurs.

These creatures have been named 'Unescoceratops' due to being found near Dinosaur Provincial Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name 'Unescoceratops' literally translates to 'UNESCO's Ceratopsian'. 

These creatures shared many features with other Ceratopsian creatures such as the Triceratops. These ceratopsians were known to munch on vegetation that grew on lower heights as these creatures were relatively smaller herbivores. These creatures also had the roundest teeth among all Leptocertopsids. Only the lower jawbones and the partial left dentary of this creature have been found, thus, this Ceratopsian still remains a mystery. Most of the creature's skeletal structure has been modeled based on estimations by paleontologists.

How do you pronounce 'Unescoceratops'?

Unescoceratops is pronounced as 'Yew-nays-co-sera-tops' and has been first used by Caleb M. Brown, David C. Evans, Don Brinkman, Philip J. Currie, and Michael J. Ryan.

What type of reptile was a Unescoceratops?

This ancient creature belonged to the leptoceratopsid family and were smaller Ceratopsian creatures that survived on vegetation.

In which geological period did the Unescoceratops roam the Earth?

The Unescoceratops seem to have roamed the Earth in the fifth age of the Late Cretaceous period which was around 75-76.5 million years ago. The fifth age is also known as the Campanian stage of this period that has been divided into six periods. During this period, supercontinents were breaking down into smaller continents, and predecessors of the oceans that we know today were being formed.

When did the Unescoceratops become extinct?

These creatures were active during the Late Cretaceous time period, thus suggesting that they became extinct when the Mesozoic Era came to an end about 66 million years ago.

Where did Unescoceratops live?

Paleontologists believe that these creatures resided in modern-day Southern Alberta in Canada. This is especially due to the fossil remains of these creatures only being found in the Dinosaur Park Formation, a major geological unit in that area.

What was the Unescoceratops' habitat?

Dinosaur Park Formation is a part of the Belly River Formation which was created during the later stage of the Cretaceous time period. During that time, it is reported that the area boasted of coastal plain environments with lush green vegetation. The Unescoceratops shared their habitat with dinosaurs such as Centrosaurus, Dyoplosaurus, and Anodontosaurus.

Who did the Unescoceratops live with?

Like other plant-eating dinosaur species, these animals were also possibly social creatures that lived in herds. Also, other dinosaur species have been reported to have been coexisting with each other in this region from the Early Cretaceous Period.

How long did a Unescoceratops live?

The lifespan of these dinosaurs cannot be estimated due to a lack of data.

How did they reproduce?

Unfortunately, studies of these dinosaurs have not yielded any answer regarding their reproductive process, because of which facts about their clutch size or gestation period are also unknown. However, these creatures were reptiles and laid eggs.

What did the Unescoceratops look like?

By examining the fossils, these creatures have been modeled as being relatively small and having very rounded teeth. Like other Ceratopsians, these reptiles were also beaked dinosaurs having horn-shaped mouths and curved heads. These creatures seem to be bipedal animals but could have also occasionally chosen to be quadrupeds like the Triceratops.

*We've been unable to source an image of Unescoceratops and have used an image of T-Rex instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Unescoceratops, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected].

How many bones did a Unescoceratops have?

The bone composition of this dinosaur has not been found because of a lack of fossil findings. However, being a Ceratopsian like the Triceratops, it is estimated that dinosaurs had a good number of bones that would be required to support their weight.

How did they communicate?

The communication method of these dinosaurs has not been defined as of yet, but visual communication is thought to be a common communication method.

How big was the Unescoceratops?

These creatures were about 3.3-6.6 ft (1-2 m) in length and this plant-eating dinosaur breed had relatively small bodies compared to many other dinosaur fossils found in that region. These creatures were about four to eight times smaller than an average Triceratops dinosaur.

How fast could a Unescoceratops move?

Like other bipedal Ceratopsians, these creatures could have moved at very high speeds. However, due to the lack of data on an extinct genus of reptiles, the exact speed is hard to determine.

How much did a Unescoceratops weigh?

It is estimated that the Unescoceratops weighed less than 200.6 lb (91 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

No particular name was assigned to either sex.

What would you call a baby Unescoceratops?

A baby Unescoceratops has not been given any specific name.

How aggressive were they?

Due to being herbivores and coexisting with other creatures from the Cretaceous time period, these animals were possibly very calm and not very aggressive.

Did You Know…

The Unescoceratops were a new species of Leptoceratopsidae that were only discovered in 1995. These creatures are quite rare and have not been found anywhere except the Dinosaur Park Formation in Southern Alberta. Another sister species of the Unescoceratops is the Gryphoceratops and these two are one of the most derived examples of the Leptoceratopsidae classification.

*We've been unable to source an image of Unescoceratops and have used an image of Edmontosaurus instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Unescoceratops, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected].