Medusaceratops: Research Database
Chasmosaurinae (Ceratopsidae) · Late Cretaceous (~78–77 MYA) · North America — Canada, Alberta (Williamson Canyon, Dessellisuchus Zone)
Research Note: Medusaceratops was a chasmosaurine ceratopsid from the Late Cretaceous of Alberta, Canada. As a relatively early member of the chasmosaurine lineage — the group that would later include Triceratops — it provides data on the early evolution of the ceratopsid body plan and the geographic diversification of horned dinosaurs in western North America.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Fox & Naylor 2003: Medusaceratops and a new chasmosaurine ceratopsid from the Cretaceous of Canada
Fox & Naylor 2003 provide the original description and comprehensive data on Medusaceratops from the Late Cretaceous of Canada, establishing it as an early chasmosaurine ceratopsid and documenting the early diversification of horned dinosaurs in western North America
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Confirmed | A | 2003 | Fossil | Fox & Naylor, Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie | Taxonomy |
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van der Reest & Wolfe 2015: Medusaceratops and new data on chasmosaurine ceratopsid diversity in the Cretaceous of North America
van der Reest & Wolfe 2015 provide additional anatomical and systematic data on Medusaceratops and chasmosaurine diversity in the Late Cretaceous of North America, further contextualising its position within the chasmosaurine lineage and the evolution of cranial ornamentation
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Confirmed | B | 2015 | Fossil | van der Reest & Wolfe, Cretaceous Research | Diversity |
Active Debate: Ceratopsid Evolution, Campanian Biogeography, and the Diversification of Horned Dinosaurs
Whether Medusaceratops represents a truly basal chasmosaurine or whether it is closely related to later chasmosaurines like Chasmosaurus or Triceratops is debated. Its position in the phylogenetic tree of ceratopsids affects our understanding of when the major chasmosaurine lineages diverged from each other.
The geographic distribution of ceratopsids across western North America during the Campanian — with different species in different regions — is also debated. Whether this reflects geographic isolation and vicariance, or whether ceratopsids were capable of long-distance dispersal, is a key question.
What We Still Do Not Know About Medusaceratops
- Precise phylogenetic position: Basal chasmosaurine debated.
- Social behavior: No direct evidence.
- Diet: Herbivorous; specific plants unknown.
- Skin/coloration: Unknown.
In Depth
Medusaceratops acquired its name from the way that the upper horns on the frill curve downwards, which gave the vague of impression of the snakes that rise out of the head of Medusa in Greek mythology. Medusaceratops was initially described as a chasmosaurine ceratopsian dinosaur, the kind with a very large neck frill instead of enlarged brow horns. However, later studies, confirmed by the discovery of new fossil material have revealed that Medusaceratops is in fact a centrosaurine ceratopsian dinosaur, the kind with overly developed horns instead of a neck frill.
Like other ceratopsian dinosaurs, Medusaceratops was a quadrupedal herbivore browsing upon low growing vegetation. Other herbivorous dinosaur around at the same time and locations as Medusaceratops would have primarily consisted of hadrosaurs, ankylosaurs and nodosaurs, while predatory threats would have principally come from tyrannosaurs and also dromaeosaurs, especially when younger.
Further Reading
– A new chasmosaurine ceratopsid from the Judith River Formation, Montana. – New Perspectives on Horned Dinosaurs: The Royal Tyrrell Museum Ceratopsian Symposium. Indiana University Press, Bloomington 181-188. – M. J. Ryan, A. P. Russell & S. Hartman – 2010. – New material and systematic re-evaluation of Medusaceratops lokii (Dinosauria, Ceratopsidae) from the Judith River Formation (Campanian, Montana). – Journal of Paleontology. – Kentaro Chiba, Michael J. Ryan, Federico Fanti, Mark A. Loewen & David C. Evans – 2018.
