Liaoceratops yanzigouensis
By Jack Wood on @thewoodparable
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Name: Liaoceratops yanzigouensis
Name Meaning: Liao Horned Face
First Described: 2002
Descrubed By: Xu
Classification: Dinosauria, Ornithischia, Genasauria, Neornithischia, Cerapoda, Marginocephalia, Ceratopsia, Neoceratopsia
Liaoceratops is a Neoceratopsian from the Barremian age of the Early Cretaceous, approximately 130 million years ago. It was found in the Yixian Formation and thus lived alongside many other dinosaurs, especially early Avialaens. Liaoceratops itself was an early and small member of Neoceratopsia, known from an almost complete skull and portions of the skulls of two young juveniles. It had a small skull frill, lacking the neck shield of later Ceratopsians; and it was probably used for species recognition and for mating. Its small horns underneath and behind its eyes were probably also used for display. It lived in a subtropical to temperate forest, with many ferns, cycads, and horsetails in a humid environment that was punctuated by dry seasons, with unusually cold winters. There were many freshwater lakes as well, with periodic volcanic eruptions and noxious fumes from them that caused environmental disruptions which allowed for increased diversification. It lived alongside many other dinosaurs in this diverse ecosystem, such as Archaeorhynchus, Bohaiornis, Changchengornis, Confuciusornis, Eoenantiornis, Dalingheornis, Jixiangornis, Hongshanornis, Liaoningornis, Longicrusavis, Longirostravis, Shanweiniao, Zhongornis, Graciliraptor, Mei, Sinornithosaurus, Sinovenator, Sinusonasus, Tianyuraptor, Zhenyuanlong, Beipiaosaurus, Caudipteryx, Dilong, Hexing, Huaxiagnathus, Incisivosaurus, Ningyuansaurus, Protarchaeopteryx, Shenzhousaurus, Similcaudipteryx, Sinocalliopteryx, Sinosauropteryx, Yixianosaurus, Yutyrannus, Dongbeititan, Bolong, Jeholosaurus, Jinzhousaurus, Liaoningosaurus, and Psittacosaurus.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liaoceratops
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yixian_Formation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleobiota_of_the_Yixian_Formation#Ornithischians
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