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Protoceratopsid

Protoceratopsidae (family)

Sensitive Classification

Fossils are sensitive in nature and should not be collected unless it is done legally and responsibly. Vertebrate fossils are illegal to collect on public lands.

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On Wikipedia

Protoceratopsidae is a family within the group Ceratopsia. The name Protoceratopsidae is derived from the Greek for "first horned face". Protoceratopsids have so far been found in rocks from the Late Cretaceous, dating to between about 99.6 and 70.6 million years ago. Although ceratopsians have been found all over the world, protoceratopsids are only known from Asia, with most specimens found in China and the Nemegt Basin in Mongolia. As ceratopsians, protoceratopsids were herbivorous, with constantly replacing tooth batteries made for slicing through plants and a hooked beak for grabbing them. Protoceratopsids were relatively small, between 1-2.5 m in length from head to tail. Their bony frill and horns were much smaller than more derived members of Ceratopsia. Protoceratopsids were…