Furcatoceratops: Beast of the Week

 This week we'll be checking out a newly described ceratopsian, Furcatoceratops elucidans!

Furcatoceratops was a ceratopsian dinosaur that lived in what is now Montana, USA, during the late Cretaceous period, between 76 and 75 million years ago.  From beak to tail it measured about thirteen feet (4 meters) long.  The genus name translates to "Forked-horned Face" and the species name, elucidans, means "enlightening".  Like all known ceratopsians, Furcatoceratops likely ate plants when it was alive.

Watercolor life reconstruction of Furcatoceratops by Christopher DiPiazza.  The crossed horns is speculation based on the fact that there would have been keratin growing over the fossilized horn cores (which are very close together) in life.  

Amazingly, Furcatoceratops is known from an almost complete skeleton, which is rare for dinosaur fossils.  As is the case with most ceratopsians, its most notable feature is its horns.  Furcatoceratops had two horns growing from above its eyes that are quite close together, basically parallel to each other. This is unusual compared to the brow horns of other ceratopsian dinosaurs, which tend to grow angled away from each other.  Furcatoceratops also had a series of small, triangular horns growing from the perimeter of its frill.  Many ceratopsians also have a horn on the snout over the nostrils but since that portion of Furcatoceratops' skull was one of the few parts not found, it is unclear if it also had a horn there in life.  

As which all ceratopsians, the exact evolutionary purpose of Furcatoceratops' horns is unknown, but display within its species or defense against potential predators are possibilities.  Lower on the skull, Furcatoceratops had a sharp beak backed up by many small teeth that would work together like shears for processing mouthfulls of plants when alive. 

Furcatoceratops skeleton on display at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tsukuba, Japan. (photo credit: "eight heads serpent")

Within the ceratopsian group (dinosaurs known for their horns and bony frills) Furcatoceratops is part of the centrosaurine branch of the family tree.  Centrosaurines are known for having robust, tall snouts, and proportionally shorter frills.  Within this group, Furcatoceratops appears to be particularly closely related to Nasutoceratops, which was alive during almost the same time as Furcatoceratops in what is now Utah, USA.  

That is all for this week!  As always feel free to comment below!

References

Ishikawa, H.; Tsuihiji, T.; Manabe, M. (2023). "Furcatoceratops elucidans, a new centrosaurine (Ornithischia: Ceratopsidae) from the upper Campanian Judith River Formation, Montana, USA". Cretaceous Research. 105660.