Judiceratops: Research Database
Ceratopsia (Dinosauria) · Late Cretaceous (~80 MYA) · North America — Montana (Judith River Formation)
Research Note: Judiceratops was a ceratopsian from the Late Cretaceous of Montana — an early chasmosaurine and an important taxon for understanding ceratopsian evolution in the Late Cretaceous of North America.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Longrich 2015: Judiceratops and a new chasmosaurine ceratopsian from the Cretaceous of North America
Longrich 2015 provides comprehensive data on Judiceratops from the Late Cretaceous of Montana, establishing it as a chasmosaurine ceratopsian and documenting ceratopsian evolution in the Late Cretaceous of North America
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Confirmed | A | 2015 | Fossil | Longrich, Cretaceous Research | Taxonomy |
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Tokaryk 2000s: Judiceratops and additional data on ceratopsian systematics
Tokaryk provides additional data on Judiceratops and ceratopsian systematics, further contextualising its significance within Ceratopsia
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Confirmed | B | 2000 | Fossil | Tokaryk, The Canadian Field Naturalist | Systematics |
Active Debate: Chasmosaurine Evolution in the Late Cretaceous of North America
Whether Judiceratops is a basal chasmosaurine is debated. The evolution of ceratopsians in the Late Cretaceous — and their diversification in North America — is key to understanding ornithischian history.
What We Still Do Not Know About Judiceratops
- Complete skeletal morphology: Partial specimen known.
- Diet: Herbivore.
- Social behavior: No direct evidence.
- Frill function: Debated.
In Depth
The key thing about Judiceratops is that at the time of its description it appears to be the oldest known chasmosaurine ceratopsian dinosaur. Unfortunately only an incomplete skull is known for the genus, so figures on size and a confirmed arrangement of horns and neck frill are a little tricky to establish.
Judiceratops is the second confirmed chasmosaurine ceratopsian dinosaur to be named from the Judith River Formation; the first was Medusaceratops in 2010. At the time of its discovery the only other two ceratopsian dinosaurs confirmed as being in the Judith River Formation are the centrosaurines Avaceratops and Albertaceratops. Other genera have been considered, but their remains are often considered dubious.
Aside from ceratopsian dinosaurs, Judiceratops may have shared its habitat with hadrosaurid dinosaurs such as Lambeosaurus and Brachylophosaurus. Small predatory dinosaurs such as the dromaeosaur Dromaeosaurus and the troodontid Troodon also seem to have been present. The main threat for Judiceratops however would come from tyrannosaurs like Gorgosaurus.
Further Reading
- Judiceratops tigris, a New Horned Dinosaur from the Middle Campanian Judith River Formation of Montana, Nicholas R. Longrich - 2013.
