LATE CRETACEOUS

HELL CREEK FORMATION

Ceratopsians

updated 112014

The Hell Creek coastal lowlands ceratopsians preferred habitats farther away from rivers. The herbivorous, beaked dinosaurs thrived in what are now North America, Asia, during the Cretaceous Period.  

mouse over diorama pics for figure information.

Triceratops is a popular and almost a required figure for a dinosaur line. Starting from the left we a front half of a Schleich then a green Invicta Triceratops., a Wild Safari adult and calf, further back a gray UKRD. Then next a trio the older green Carnegie Safari, a Bullyland and then a striped Battat Triceratops. Then we have two different versions of the Battat Tyrannosaurus Boston Museum figures. The last Battat figure balanced by its tail and the earlier figure with the tail raised. Unfortunately the original more attractive and realistic figure tends to fall over. An interim fix put snowshoe like bases on the feet but a three-point stance was eventually needed to keep the figure upright. Last a PlayVision tric.

Triceratops ( Three Horned Face) fossils are very common leading us to believe Triceratops were very common.  Unlike their earlier relatives we find no bone beds indicating large herds.  Perhaps they had small family structures like deer or rhinos.
Starting on the left are the new Kaiyodo Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops premiums. The two small Triceratops are from the Jurassic Park III figures. Continuing left is the Battat Boston Museum series mini Triceratops and a Play Vision American Natural History series Tyrannosaurus. Finally there is a Bullyland Triceratops from their medium figure line with a JP3 Tyrannosaurus.

Ceratopsids were adapted to processing high-fiber plant material with their highly derived dental batteries. They may have utilized fermentation to break down plant material with a gut microflora.

Here is a wide selection of Triceratops figures from the mini lines. Starting with Bullyland, Disney, a red and black K&M figures, and back is a Blue Box. Then we have Micromachine National geographic, PlayVision, Safari Habitat and last a JP 2 playset figure. The Tyrannosaurus is a Safari Habitat, the Ankylosaurus and green Torosaurus from Bullyland . Last is the Toys and Things Torosaurus.

Ceratopsids were generally restricted to feeding on vegetation at, or below three feet.

Safari ltd. has the widest ranges of Triceratops figures. The Carnegie lines has two versions of the original and new release. There is a Wild Safari adult and a Wild Things calf. There is also a baby dinosaur toob Triceratops. The Troodon and Thescelosaurus are bin figures with custom paint

Triceratops was the longest ceratopsid, and one of the last. It had a skull 6 feet long and horns 3 feet long, (1 above each eye, 1 on its nose). The neck frill was a saddle shaped, solid piece of bone. Its scissor-like teeth were in rows so that as one wore out it was replaced by the next row.

Schliech Triceratops, Marx Struthiomimus and Retro Classic Hypsilophodon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a plant eater. Males may have fought for domination, while the frill probably served a number of functions including display and heat regulation.

Delux CollecetA Triceratops

Triceratops had front legs shorter than the back legs and whereas the back legs were positioned vertically beneath the body, the front limbs are generally portrayed as projected out to the sides in a 'push-up' position that meant that the head was carried low in an ideal defensive position.

Previous tyrannosaurs next Torosaurus