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Triceratops
Fossil range: Late Cretaceous, 68–65 Ma PreЄЄOSDCPTJKPgN↓

Triceratops skull, showing horns and frill, Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Superorder: Dinosauria

Order: †Ornithischia

Suborder: †Cerapoda

Infraorder: †Ceratopsia

Family: †Ceratopsidae

Subfamily: †Ceratopsinae

Genus: †Triceratops
Marsh, 1889
Species
T. horridus Marsh, 1889 (type)
T. prorsus Marsh, 1890

Synonyms
Sterrholophus Marsh, 1891
Torosaurus? Marsh, 1891
Claorhynchus? Cope, 1892
Ugrosaurus Cobabe & Fastovsky, 1987

Triceratops (pronounced /traɪˈsɛrətɒps/ trye-SER-ə-tops) is a genus of herbivorous ceratopsid dinosaur which lived during the late Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous Period, around 68 to 65 million years ago (Mya) in what is now North America. It was one of the last dinosaur genera to appear before the great Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event.[1] Bearing a large bony frill and three horns on its large four-legged body, and conjuring similarities with the modern rhinoceros, Triceratops is one of the most recognizable of all dinosaurs. Although it shared the landscape with and was preyed upon by the fearsome Tyrannosaurus,[2] it is unclear whether the two did battle in the manner often depicted in museum displays and popular images.

A complete Triceratops skeleton has yet to be found,[3] though the creature is well-documented by numerous partial remains collected since the introduction of the genus in 1887. The function of their frills and three distinctive facial horns has long inspired debate. Although traditionally viewed as defensive weapons against predators, the latest theories claim that it is more probable that these features were used in courtship and dominance displays, much like the antlers and horns of modern reindeer, mountain goats, or rhinoceros beetles.[4]

Triceratops is the best-known of the ceratopsids, though the exact placement of the genus within the group has been a point of contention amongst paleontologists. Two species, T. horridus and T. prorsus, are considered valid, although many other species have been named. Recent research suggests that another long-recognized ceratopsid, Torosaurus, may actually represent a mature form of Triceratops.[5]

michael jackson