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. Though they were herbivorous vegetarians, Triceratops were no pushovers. Some models suggest that with their sharp horns, these giants faced off against predators like the T-Rex!

When the Triceratops wasn't duking it out with a mighty theropod, they were busy chowing down. 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 Triceratops neck joint from the Lance Formation in South Dakota, dating to about 67 million years ago. These ball-and-socket joints allowed for high mobility in the skull, letting the triceratops forage freely, or perhaps swing its horns during a fight.

You can see all our currently available Triceratops specimens 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.

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.

In adulthood, Triceratops measured 29ft (9m) long and 10ft (3m) tall, with the head comprising nearly one-third the overall length. Studies of the incidence of lesions in the cranium and frill suggest that the Triceratops used its horns in combat and the frill was an adaptation for protection. In other studies, it was found that about one-third of the adult horn was hollow at its base, thus making it unlikely that the horns would be used for combat when they could be easily damaged.

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