TRICERATOPS’ SKULL

TRICERATOPS

190 x 150 x 150 cm.
Base’s dimension: 197 x 136 cm.
Hell Creek’s formation in Nord Dakota, USA, late Maastrichtian (late Cretaceo), 66-68 millions years ago.

Triceratops horridus is one of the best-known dinosaurs, the largest of the Certopsidae. It could reach a maximum length of nine meters and a weight of ten tons much larger and heavier than an adult African elephant. This adult skull is 70% complete. The missing parts were supplemented with original copies of other fragments, and required a five-month restoration.The triceratops lived in groups and were among the last dinosaurs to disappear. They took their name from the three horns, present on their heads. The horn can reach a length of one meter. Often these horns are broken into pieces or found separate from the skull and were used for defense.
Triceratops populated most of today’s United States, particularly Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana, as well as Canada, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. The great success of this species probably derives from its effective and strong masticatory apparatus with strong jaws and numerous teeth. They are certainly the first herbivorous dinosaurs that existed.
The characteristic appearance of the Triceratops has made it one of the most famous dinosaurs in the world and this can be seen in its popularity, being right behind the Tyrannosaurus Rex in an ideal ranking. Today there are numerous replicas of Triceratops in amusement parks, documentaries and programs for children. Especially in the long-running Jurassic Park film series directed by Steven Spielberg, which has contributed significantly to the current popularity of this species in the collective imagination.