Stellasaurus
From Latin stella, "star", combined with Greek sauros, "lizard" — means "star lizard", in reference to the star-shaped head ornamentation and as a tribute to David Bowie's song "Starman"
Stellasaurus is a genus of centrosaurine ceratopsid dinosaur that lived in Montana during the Late Cretaceous. The type and only species is Stellasaurus ancellae. Its remains have been found in the late Campanian-aged Two Medicine Formation, the same geological unit which its relatives Rubeosaurus (now seen as a synonym of Styracosaurus), Einiosaurus, and Achelousaurus were discovered in.
Diagnosis
- Elongate, erect and recurved nasal horncore
- Diminutive supraorbital ornamentation with pointed apex
- Parietal with elongate, straight P3 processes
- Partially elongate P4 processes less than half as long as P3
- Non-elongate P5, P6 and P7 processes
- Unique P4 elongation intermediate between S. albertensis and E. procurvicornis
Species
Stellasaurus ancellae Wilson et al., 2020
Type species
Named in honor of Carrie Ancell, a field paleontologist and preparator at the Museum of the Rockies who discovered the holotype specimen.
- Holotype
- MOR 492 , Museum of the Rockies
- Material
- Partial skull preserving left lateral parietal bar, midline parietal bar, paired fused nasals, partial left premaxilla, partial left postorbital and associated supraorbital ornamentation.
- Horizon
- upper Two Medicine Formation, Campanian, Late Cretaceous , 83.6–72.2 million years ago
- Locality
- Landslide Butte area, Montana, United States
References
- Wilson, J. P.; Ryan, M. J.; Evans, D. C. (2020). A new, transitional centrosaurine ceratopsid from the Upper Cretaceous Two Medicine Formation of Montana and the evolution of the 'Styracosaurus-line' dinosaurs. Royal Society Open Science 7(4). The Royal Society. doi:10.1098/rsos.200284 wilson2020a
-
Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Ornithischians. Princeton University Press.
Source of the body length estimate, and the appearance features.
jones2026a