Triceratops was one of the last dinosaurs to appear in the Late Cretaceous. Like other members of the Ceratopsid family, these large quadrupeds sported bony frills, horns, and beak-like mouths.

Their teeth were tight structures called "dental batteries," which could grow on top of one another. This positioning allowed them to constantly renew teeth that were damaged in the wear and tear of crushing plant fibers.

This specimen is a fossilized fragment of a Triceratops tooth recovered on private land. Specimens have been sourced from both the South Dakota Lance Formation and the Montana Hell Creek Formation. The informational card included states which formation each particular tooth is from. Sizes and shapes vary widely on this specimen.

Small, Medium, and Large sized teeth are all available. Each fossil comes housed within an acrylic specimen jar and present in our classic, glass-topped riker display case. The case measures 4"x3"x1". A small information card is also included, which also serves as the certificate of authenticity.

Small- Less than 0.25"

Medium- 0.25" to 0.5"

Large- 0.5" to 1"

Please Note: Color, shape, and texture varies from specimen to specimen. We've included photos of a variety of fossils on this page to show the range of possible fossils.

Additionally, we also have several massive showcased sized teeth that have intact root structures. These teeth are priced individually and can be found below.

Triceratops was one of the last dinosaurs to appear in the Late Cretaceous. Like other members of the Certatopsid family, these large quadrupeds sported bony frills, horns, and beak-like mouths.

As you might expect, there is evidence that the frill and horns were used as defensive weapons against predators such as Tyrannosaurus Rex, including partially-healed frills and brow horns with Tyrannosaurid tooth marks. However, this is far from settled science.

Assessments of progressive changes in horn orientation and shape during adolescence also indicate the possible visual identification of juveniles, and eventually the onset of sexual maturity. Furthermore, the horns may have been important for mating displays (sexual dimorphism) or even species recognition amid large herds.

As noted above, the Triceratops’ jaws came together to form a sharp curved beak. This feature was built not for biting, but for grasping and pulling at plants. Behind this beak sat the dinosaur’s teeth, which were arranged in a tight structure called a dental battery. These batteries consisted of columns of teeth that would grow and erupt, replacing the worn and broken teeth at the top of the stack.

While this was a somewhat common adaptation for herbivorous dinosaurs, the Triceratops’ teeth were nestled inside one another, meaning their teeth were constantly being replaced. This gave their batteries stability and prevented gaps from appearing in their jaws. With five teeth in a battery and nearly 40 tooth positions, Triceratops had hundreds of teeth in its jaws at one time.

The shape of these teeth were highly specialized, acting exclusively as tools to cut with rather than grind or crush. This is unusual in herbivores, with shearing teeth being of only secondary importance.

The structure of the jaw indicates that Triceratops had an extremely powerful bite, capable of tearing tough plants. Its heavy skull kept its head held low and it likely subsisted off cycads, a plant with large, fleshy seeds full of sugar and starches. With such a large body size, (over 29 feet long in adulthood!) Triceratops was able to consume a high amount of low quality food, similar to modern day browsers.