Open Paleo

Furcatoceratops

Ishikawa et al., 2023 fuh-KAH-tow-SEH-ruh-tops

Forked horned face; from Latin furcatus (forked) and Greek keras (horn) and ops (face)

83.6–72.2 million years ago Campanian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Furcatoceratops is a genus of centrosaurine ceratopsid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Judith River Formation of Montana. The type species is Furcatoceratops elucidans.

Diagnosis

  1. Supraorbital horncores project significantly anteriorly with slight medial curvature and oval cross section (thicker dorsoventrally than transversely)
  2. Anteroventral process of the nasal is broad and elongate, dorsolaterally overlying the posteroventral process of the premaxilla
  3. Epiparietals relatively small compared to episquamosals and epiparietosquamosals
  4. Pubic process of the ischium narrow (narrower than the shaft)
  5. Prefrontal contributes to the orbital margin (excludes palpebral from fully enclosing orbit)

Species

Furcatoceratops elucidans Ishikawa et al., 2023

Type species

From Latin 'elucidans' meaning 'enlightening', reflecting the contribution this specimen makes to understanding centrosaurine diversity.

Holotype
NSM PV 24660 , National Museum of Nature and Science
Material
Nearly complete skeleton (subadult), upper Coal Ridge Member; most cranial and vertebral elements disarticulated and well preserved.
Horizon
upper Coal Ridge Member, Judith River Formation, Campanian, Late Cretaceous , 83.6–72.2 million years ago
Locality
Montana, United States Ishikawa and colleagues (2023) place the holotype in Fergus County, Montana, calling its site only the quarry that yielded it.

References

  1. Ishikawa, H.; Tsuihiji, T.; Manabe, M. (2023). Furcatoceratops elucidans, a new centrosaurine (Ornithischia: Ceratopsidae) from the upper Campanian Judith River Formation, Montana, USA. Cretaceous Research 151. Elsevier BV. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105660 ishikawa2023a