Gryphoceratops, smallest leptoceratopsid

Adam Khor

Another limited access paper:(

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195667111001960

The interesting stuff: Gryphognathus (either hook-jaw or griffin-jaw) is seemingly the oldest (over 83 million years) and smallest (1 meter long) ceratopsian found thus far in North America as well as the smallest leptoceratopsid.

For some reason, Wikipedia states that Gryphognathus was the smallest leptoceratopsid, whereas Leptoceratops (at around 2 meters long) was the largest. However, Udanoceratops (an Asian leptoceratopsid) would have been much larger, at 4 meters long:



I won`t be surprised when leptoceratopsids smaller than Gryphognathus and larger than Udanoceratops are found, tho :cool:

Galvasean

Saw the image before the text and thought, "Small?!!?!?"

Galvasean

Wait, I'm confused. Is it called Gryphoceratops or Gryphognathus?

Adam Khor

Galvasean wrote: »

Wait, I'm confused. Is it called Gryphoceratops or Gryphognathus?

Well the original name was Gryphognathus but now it seems they changed it to Gryphoceratops :S

dlofnep

Doesn't ceratops imply a horn existed? I don't see any in that image?

Galvasean

dlofnep wrote: »

Doesn't ceratops imply a horn existed? I don't see any in that image?

Technically yes, ceratops does mean 'horned face', but the name seems to be the 'go to' for all ceratopsian dinosaurs (Protoceratops means 'first horned face' despite not having any horns or even being the first ceratopsian), much like how many dinosaurs have 'saurus' in their names despite not being lizards.

Adam Khor

dlofnep wrote: »

Doesn't ceratops imply a horn existed? I don't see any in that image?

It is as Galvasean says, but plus, the image is of an Udanoceratops, not a Gryphoceratops/Gryphognathus. None of them had horns as far as we know, tho.

Galvasean

Thread title changed for the sake of posterity.

Adam Khor

More info on Grypoceratops and the (IMO) badly, badly named Unescoceratops:

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2012/03/12/scientists.name.2.new.species.horned.dinosaur