Name:
Pentaceratops (Greek for "five-horned face"); pronounced PENT-ah-SER-ah-tops
Habitat:
Plains of western North America
Historical Period:
Late Cretaceous (75-65 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 20 feet long and 5 tons
Diet:
Plants
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Enormous bony frill on head; two large horns above eyes
About Pentaceratops:
Despite its name (which means "five-horned face"), Pentaceratops really only had three horns, two big ones over its eyes and a smaller one on the end of its snout. The two other protuberances were technically outgrowths of its cheekbones, rather than genuine horns, which probably didn't make much difference to any smaller dinosaurs who got in its way.
From the tip of its beak to the top of its bony frill, Pentaceratops had one of the largest heads of any dinosaur that ever lived--about 10 feet long. It's hard to say for sure, but this otherwise peaceful plant-eater may have been the inspiration for the huge-headed queen in the 1986 movie Aliens.
