{"product_id":"zuniceratops-christopheri-1","title":"Zuniceratops christopheri","description":"\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eZuniceratops christopheri\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003ewas a ceratopsian dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of North America, known from fossil remains recovered from the Moreno Hill Formation in western New Mexico, United States. Formally described by Douglas Wolfe and James Kirkland in 1998, this taxon occupies a particularly important position in the evolution of horned dinosaurs, as it represents a transitional form between more primitive neoceratopsians and the more derived ceratopsids of the Late Cretaceous.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIts name means “Zuni horned face”, referring to the Zuni people and the region where its fossils were discovered, while the specific epithet \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003echristopheri\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e honours Christopher Wolfe, who found the first specimen.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZuniceratops christopheri\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e lived during the Turonian, approximately 91–90 million years ago, before the major diversification of classic ceratopsids such as \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCentrosaurus\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStyracosaurus\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChasmosaurus\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTriceratops\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIts palaeontological importance lies in its combination of primitive and derived anatomical features. On the one hand, it retained characteristics associated with relatively basal ceratopsians; on the other, it possessed a well-developed pair of supraorbital horns positioned above the eyes, broadly comparable to those of later ceratopsids.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis feature demonstrates that brow horns evolved earlier than was once suggested by the better-known large North American ceratopsids and provides important evidence for the early development of cranial ornamentation within this lineage.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFrom a morphometric perspective, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZuniceratops christopheri\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was a medium-sized ceratopsian, with an estimated body length of approximately 3–3.5 metres, a hip height of around 1 metre and a probable body mass of several hundred kilograms. These figures should nevertheless be regarded as approximate because of the incomplete nature of the known fossil material.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe animal was probably primarily quadrupedal, with a robust but less massive build than that of later large ceratopsids. It had a relatively compact torso, strong limbs, a moderately long tail and a proportionally large head adapted to support an already ornamented skull.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe skull of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZuniceratops\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was low and elongated, with a keratinous rostral beak at the front of the mouth and jaws adapted for cropping and processing vegetation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUnlike more derived ceratopsids, it did not possess a large, well-developed nasal horn. However, it did have a pair of prominent supraorbital horns, which represent one of the species’ most distinctive anatomical features.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe cranial frill was relatively short and simple compared with those of later ceratopsids, although it already displayed the posterior expansion typical of ceratopsians. Its dentition included dental batteries capable of processing tough plant material.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis indicates a herbivorous diet probably based on low-growing plants, shoots, tough leaves and other vegetation available in the continental ecosystems of the middle to Late Cretaceous.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZuniceratops christopheri\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e inhabited the ecosystems of the Moreno Hill Formation, a continental geological unit that preserves a highly significant fauna for understanding the transition between Early Cretaceous dinosaur communities and the better-known Late Cretaceous ecosystems of Laramidia.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn this environment, it coexisted with other vertebrates, including turtles, crocodyliforms, small mammals, fish, theropods and other herbivorous dinosaurs.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Moreno Hill fauna is especially important because it includes early representatives and relatives of lineages that would later dominate North American ecosystems, including more derived ceratopsians and tyrannosauroids.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor this reason, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZuniceratops\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e represents a key taxon for understanding the evolution of North American dinosaur communities.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eApproximate Zuniceratops Replica Dimensions\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1:35 Scale — Complete Model\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLength: 92 mm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHeight: 40 mm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWidth: 25 mm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSnout-to-tail length: 100 mm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1:20 Scale — Complete Model\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLength: 160 mm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHeight: 69 mm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWidth: 43 mm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSnout-to-tail length: 175 mm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Miniature Museum","offers":[{"title":"1:35 \/ Sin imprimar","offer_id":54876046131468,"sku":"DC-1475-135-SINI","price":30.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"1:35 \/ Imprimado","offer_id":54876046164236,"sku":"DC-1475-135-IMPRI","price":35.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"1:35 \/ Pintado a mano","offer_id":54876046197004,"sku":"DC-1475-135-PINTA","price":130.3,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"1:20 \/ Sin imprimar","offer_id":54876046229772,"sku":"DC-1475-120-SINI","price":43.2,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"1:20 \/ Imprimado","offer_id":54876046262540,"sku":"DC-1475-120-IMPRI","price":50.2,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"1:20 \/ Pintado a mano","offer_id":54876046295308,"sku":"DC-1475-120-PINTA","price":174.5,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0672\/1106\/7660\/files\/Zuniceratops_9.png?v=1784573569","url":"https:\/\/dinosauriacreatures.com\/en\/products\/zuniceratops-christopheri-1","provider":"Dinosauria Creatures","version":"1.0","type":"link"}