Styracosaurus

Styracosaurus was a herbivorous ceratopsian dinosaur, belonging to the same group as the famous Triceratops, that lived during the Late Cretaceous period around 76–75 million years ago. Fossils of Styracosaurus have been found in North America and Canada. During the Late Cretaceous, this area was part of an island continent called Laramidia, which featured vast floodplains and a warm, humid climate.

The type species, Styracosaurus albertensis, was first described in 1913, having been discovered in Dinosaur Provincial Park—a famous fossil hotspot in Alberta, Canada. This area has yielded over 500 fossils and led to the discovery of more than 50 new dinosaur species. A second species, Styracosaurus ovatus, was described in 1930, though there is debate around whether this represents a distinct species, a specimen of S. albertensis, or belongs to its own genus, Rubeosaurus.

An adult Styracosaurus measured around 5.5 m in length, stood approximately 1.8 m tall, and weighed up to 2.7 tonnes (2,700 kg). It had one of the most striking head displays among ceratopsians, with several large spikes or horns extending from the edge of its neck frill. These numbered around 4–6, though the exact count varied between individuals. Younger, sub-adult specimens appear to have had small, pyramid-shaped brow horns, which turned into small pits (holes) as they reached adulthood. With a large, bulky body comparable in size and appearance to a modern-day rhino, Styracosaurus had four toes on each back foot. The three outer toes had large, hoof-like claws known as unguals, covered in horn, while the inner toe had a smaller claw. Each foot was padded with thick, round cushions for support.

Styracosaurus lived in a rich, prehistoric environment filled with a diverse array of dinosaurs. In the Dinosaur Park Formation, it shared its habitat with other horned dinosaurs, duck-billed hadrosaurs, armored species, and large predators like Gorgosaurus. The region was once a warm, swampy floodplain with lush forests of conifers and ferns. Often depicted in pop culture as a herd animal, there is some fossil evidence to support this idea. A bonebed discovered in Alberta suggests that groups of Styracosaurus may have died together, possibly gathering at a waterhole during a drought in a dry, seasonal climate. While it's uncertain whether they lived in herds regularly, such behavior might have occurred occasionally. Some scientists also believe that Styracosaurus could run faster than a modern elephant, based on fossilized tracks.