Open Paleo

Unescoceratops

Ryan et al., 2012 oo-NESS-co-SEH-ruh-tops

Named for UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), in reference to the fossil being found in Dinosaur Provincial Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, combined with Greek 'keras' meaning 'horn' and 'ops' meaning 'face'

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

Unescoceratops is a genus of leptoceratopsid ceratopsian dinosaurs known from the Late Cretaceous of Alberta, southern Canada. It contains a single species, Unescoceratops koppelhusae.

Diagnosis

  1. Gentle rather than pronounced curvature of ventral margin of dentary
  2. Flange-like anteroventral margin projecting as distinct chin below ventral margin
  3. Dentary teeth from middle of tooth row as wide as high with rounded lingual profile
  4. Marginal denticles extending almost to root of teeth, unlike other leptoceratopsids
  5. Hatchet-shaped dentary in lateral view due to chin and anteriorly deeper form
  6. Recumbent coronoid process inclined at shallow posterodorsal angle

Species

Unescoceratops koppelhusae Ryan et al., 2012

Type species

Named for Eva Koppelhus, palynologist and wife of Philip Currie, one of the authors who described the genus.

Holotype
TMP 1995.012.0006 , Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology
Material
Partial left dentary
Horizon
middle Dinosaur Park Formation, Campanian, Late Cretaceous , 83.6–72.2 million years ago
Locality
Bonebed 55, Alberta, Canada

References

  1. Ryan, M. J.; Evans, D. C.; Currie, P. J.; Brown, C. M.; Brinkman, D. (2012). New leptoceratopsids from the Upper Cretaceous of Alberta, Canada. Cretaceous Research 35: 69-80. Elsevier BV. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2011.11.018 ryan2012b