Triceratops belongs to a large family of dinosaurs known as the Ceratopsids. Ceratopsids lived during the Late Cretaceous Period. All Ceratopsids are quadrupeds with 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.

This specimen is a gem-quality Triceratops horn fragment, recovered on private land in Butte County, South Dakota from the Hell Creek Formation. It is approximately 66,000,000 years old.

Roughly 1/3 the length of a complete supraorbital horn, this horn fragment measures 13" (33cm) long with a circumference of 21" (53cm). As a gem-quality fossil, it is incredibly dense, weighing in at 28.4 lbs (12.9kg).

Please Note: If you're having a hard time visualizing the size and heft of this specimen, it's equivalent to a good-sized watermelon stuffed with two 14 lb. bowling balls. 🍉+🎳+🎳

While gem-quality dinosaur bones are relatively plentiful in some formations, the geochemistry of the Hell Creek formation is not particularly conducive to agate formation. It happens but it is rare, and finding Triceratops horns of this size in an agatized state is almost unheard of.

This is a special one-of-a-kind item, but we have even more Triceratops fossils in the collection 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.

In addition, the presence of blood vessels in the frill suggest that these features could be used in identification, courtship, and dominance displays, much like the antlers and horns of modern reindeer, mountain goats, or rhinoceros beetles. The blood vessels also point to the possibility that the frill served to help regular body temperature.

In adulthood, Triceratops measured 29ft long and 10ft tall, with the head comprising nearly one-third of the overall length. These highly evolved herbivores had four dental batteries with which they masticated their food using massive jaw muscles. The dental batteries allowed worn teeth to be continually replaced. Which plants they preferred remains a mystery, but their browse height was probably less than 6ft.