Today, mammals are the major group of animals with horns, and they’re among the most majestic animals around.
Even the reptiles and birds that are more closely related to the dinosaurs don’t have horns.
Horns, antlers, and other similar features serve defensive purposes in many ancient and living animals.
Adult males of horned dinosaurs locked horns to compete for females.
Their elaborate adornments also helped to differentiate between different related species.
Triceratops and the other ceratopsians were the major horned dinosaurs of the Mesozoic Era.
But there were a few other dinosaurs with prominent headgear like them too.
In this article, we’ll list 15 of the most extraordinary horned dinosaurs from prehistoric times.
15. Carnotaurus
| Name | Carnotaurus |
| Number of Horns | 2 |
| Name Meaning | Meat-eating bull |
| Pronunciation | kar-noh-TAWR-uhs |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Theropoda |
| Diet | Carnivorous |
| Height | 3–3.6 meters (10–12 feet) |
| Length | 5.8–9 meters (19.2–30 feet) |
| Weight | 1 ton (2,000 lbs) |
| Location | South America |
Today, only herbivores have horns.
But as the Carnotaurus shows, this was probably not the case in the prehistoric past.
Carnotoaurus was a meat-eating dinosaur that lived in South America during the Middle Cretaceous Period.
It was a typical bipedal carnivore with small, almost vestigial forelimbs and long hind limbs.
But the most distinctive feature of this dinosaur was the pair of thick horns above its eyes, a feature not seen in any other carnivorous dinosaur.
Since the horns were probably not so useful for self-defense, several other theories have been put forward for the horns, including intraspecific fights, killing prey, or even display purposes.
14. Torosaurus
| Name | Torosaurus |
| Number of Horns | 3 |
| Name Meaning | Perforated Lizard |
| Pronunciation | tor-uh-SAW-rus |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Ornithischia & Ceratopsia |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 3-4 meters (10-13 feet) |
| Length | 7-9 meters (23-30 feet) |
| Weight | 3.9-5.8 tons (8,800-13,000 lbs) |
| Location | North America |
The Torosaurus is another worthy candidate for the longest skull of any known terrestrial vertebrate.
It had a skull length of about 2.2 meters (7.2 feet).
The extremely long frill of this dinosaur formed the bulk of this long skull.
The cranial features of the Torosaurus looked very similar to that of the Triceratops.
It had three horns as well positioned almost the same way as that of the Triceratops.
This has prompted speculations that both dinosaurs were probably from different growth stages of the same individual.
The overlap between the age of these two dinosaurs (68 to 66 million years ago) further adds to the confusion about their identities.
The most remarkable difference between them is the presence of a large opening on the Torosaurus’ neck frill.
The dinosaur’s name, which translates as “perforated lizard,” references this large opening.
13. Utahceratops
| Name | Utahceratops |
| Number of Horns | 3 |
| Name Meaning | Utah horned face |
| Pronunciation | you-TAH-SEH-ruh-tops |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Ornithischia & Ceratopsia |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 2.5-3 meters (8-10 feet) |
| Length | 5-6 meters (16-20 feet) |
| Weight | 3.3-4.4 tons (6,600–8,800 lbs) |
| Location | North America |
The Utahceratops’ name already gives you an idea of where this dinosaur lived.
It was a North American ceratopsian that lived between 76.4 and 75.5 million years ago.
The horned-face dinosaur from Utah had a short nasal horn positioned further up its face instead of directly on the snout like that of other ceratopsian dinosaurs.
The brow horns also had a distinct appearance.
They were short, robust, and pointed to the sides instead of forward.
Utahceratops was a relatively mid-sized dinosaur.
It was about 4.5 to 5 meters (15–16 feet) long and measured about two tons on average.
12. Pachyrhinosaurus
| Name | Pachyrhinosaurus |
| Number of Horns | 2 |
| Name Meaning | Thick-nosed lizard |
| Pronunciation | pah-kih-rye-no-SAW-rus |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Ornithischia & Ceratopsia |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 3–4 meters (10–13 feet) tall at the shoulder |
| Length | 6-8 meters (20-26 feet) |
| Weight | 3–3.6 tons (6,600–7,900 lbs) |
| Location | North America |
Unlike its closest relatives like the Centrosaurus, Pachyrhinosaurus did not have prominent nasal horns.
Instead, it had a large bony boss on its snout, which is why it is called the “thick-nosed lizard.”
Pachyrhinosaurus also had a smaller boss above its eyes.
A prominent pair of horns grew from the top of the Pachyrhinosaurus’ frill and extended upwards.
Some species of this herbivorous dinosaur also had additional horns or ornaments adorning their frills.
The largest species in the Pachyrhinosaurus grew to lengths of about six to eight meters (19.7–26.2 feet).
11. Stygimoloch
| Name | Stygimoloch |
| Number of Horns | 1 longhorn surrounded by 2–3 hornets |
| Name Meaning | Demon from the river Styx |
| Pronunciation | stij-uh-MOH-lok |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Ornithischia & Pachycephalosauria |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 1-1.5 meters (3-5 feet) |
| Length | 2-3 meters (6.5-10 feet) |
| Weight | 200–400 kilograms (440–880 pounds) |
| Location | North America |
Stygimoloch belongs to a family of thick-skulled herbivores known as the pachycephalosaurs.
Members of this family of dinosaurs are known for their extremely thick round skulls.
But the Stygimoloch takes it up a notch with the addition of bony spikes and knobs to its already fortified skull.
This dinosaur’s name references Moloch, the biblical name for a horned demon with a similar appearance as the Stygimoloch.
But the only thing fierce about the Stygimoloch is its horns. It was a gentle bipedal dinosaur that survived on vegetation.
10. Centrosaurus
| Name | Centrosaurus |
| Number of Horns | 1 |
| Name Meaning | Pointed lizard |
| Pronunciation | sen-tro-SAWR-uhs |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Ornithischia & Ceratopsia |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 2.5 meters (8 feet) tall at the shoulder |
| Length | 5-6 meters (16-20 feet) |
| Weight | 3 tons (6,000 lbs) |
| Location | North America |
Centrosaurus lends its name to the subfamily centrosaurine.
This group of ceratopsian dinosaurs is known for their prominent nasal horns.
The single large horn of the Centrosaurus measured about 46 centimeters (18 inches) in length.
In addition to the snout horn, the neck frills of this dinosaur were lined with several small horns.
The Centrosaurus also had two large horns projecting from the midline of its frills.
These two hornets had a hook-like shape and projected forward from the top of the frill.
The genus name, which translates as prickly lizard, refers to the frill horns rather than the prominent snout horns.
Centrosaurus was one of the most common dinosaurs of Late Cretaceous North America.
9. Nasutoceratops
| Name | Nasutoceratops |
| Number of Horns | 2 |
| Name Meaning | Big-nosed horn face |
| Pronunciation | nah-soo-toh-SER-uh-tops |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Ornithischia & Ceratopsia |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 1.8-2.1 meters (6-7 feet) |
| Length | 4.5 meters (14.8 feet) |
| Weight | 1.5 tons (3,000 lbs) |
| Location | USA (North America) |
The Nasutoceratops was a small dinosaur by ceratopsian standards, but still moderately sized for a dinosaur.
It had a body length of about 4.5 meters (14.8 feet) and weighed about 1.5 tons.
But on top of that moderately-sized body was a massive skull adorned with one of the biggest and most distinct pairs of horns on any prehistoric animal.
With a length of about 1.5 feet, the Nasutoceratops horn was the longest horn seen on any centrosaurine dinosaur.
It also had a unique rounded shape which made it look like the horns of modern cows.
But unlike the hollow horns of most modern animals, the Nasutoceratops’ horn had a solid bone core.
8. Chasmosaurus
| Name | Chasmosaurus |
| Number of Horns | 3 |
| Name Meaning | Chasm lizard |
| Pronunciation | kaz-moh-SAWR-uhs |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Ornithischia & Ceratopsia |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 2.5-3 meters (8-10 feet) tall at the shoulder |
| Length | 4-5 meters (14-16 feet) |
| Weight | 1.65-2.2 tons (3,300–4,400 lbs) |
| Location | North America |
The most distinctive feature of the Chasmosaurus was the large openings in its frill, also known as the fenestrae.
This opening was probably covered with a layer of skin when the dinosaur was alive.
Chasmosaurus had three horns on its face.
This includes a nasal horn above its snout and two small ones above its brow.
The Chasmosaurus’ horns were short and relatively blunt compared to the horns of other ceratopsian dinosaurs.
The first fossil of this North American herbivore was discovered in 1898. It is the first horned dinosaur ever discovered.
With a length of about 4.3 to 4.8 meters (14.1 to 15.7 feet), this dinosaur is often compared to a rhinoceros in terms of its size.
7. Triceratops
| Name | Triceratops |
| Number of Horns | 3 |
| Name Meaning | Three-horned face |
| Pronunciation | Trih-SAIR-uh-tops |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Ornithischia & Ceratopsia |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 2.3 meters (7.5 feet) |
| Length | 9 meters (30 feet) |
| Weight | 5-9 tons (11,000-19,800 lbs) |
| Location | North America |
The Triceratops is arguably the most popular horned dinosaur.
Its name translates as three-horned face, which already gives you an idea of the number of horns on this dinosaur’s head.
The elephant-sized dinosaur had two large horns on its brows and a smaller one just above its snout.
The brow horns were up to one meter (3.3 feet) long and pointed forward.
The Triceratops also had a massive frill at the back of its skull.
The frill had between 19 and 26 projections lining its end, known as epoccipitals.
In addition to the three main horns, there were several other horn-like projections on the cheekbones of this dinosaur.
Triceratops was a nine–meter–long quadrupedal herbivore that lived during the Cretaceous.
6. Pentaceratops
| Name | Pentaceratops |
| Number of Horns | 5 |
| Name Meaning | Five-horned face |
| Pronunciation | PENT-ah-SER-ah-tops |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Ornithischia & Ceratopsia |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 3 meters (10 feet) |
| Length | 5.5-7 meters (18-23 feet) |
| Weight | 2.5 tons (5,500 lbs) |
| Location | New Mexico, United States (North America) |
If you think the three horns of the Triceratops are menacing, try a dinosaur with five horns on its massive head.
In addition to the typical nasal and brow horns seen in other ceratopsian dinosaurs, the Pentaceratops had two sharply pointed cheekbones on the sides of its face, which formed horns four and five.
Pentaceratops also had large neck frills, bigger than that of any of its known relatives.
All of these head adornments add up to form the largest skull of any land vertebrate.
The Pentaceratop’s skull alone was up to 2.3 meters (7.5 feet) long, while the entire body was about six meters (20 feet) long.
5. Wendiceratops
| Name | Wendiceratops |
| Number of Horns | 2 horns and a curled frill with several hornets |
| Name Meaning | Named after the renowned fossil preparator Wendy Sloboda |
| Pronunciation | wen-di-SER-uh-tops |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Ornitschia & Ceratopsia |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 1.5-2 meters (5-6.5 feet) |
| Length | 4.5-6 meters (15-20 feet) |
| Weight | 1.1 tons (2,200 lbs) |
| Location | North America |
At first look, the Wendiceratops appear to be very similar to the Kosmoceratops.
Both dinosaurs had long brow horns paired and several short hook-like projections adorning their neck frills.
But the similarities between them are mostly superficial.
Both dinosaurs belong to different branches of the ceratopsian family line.
Wendiceratops was a centrosaurine which means it is more closely related to the Centrosaurus,
Kosmoceratops, on the other hand, was a chasmosaurine which means it is more closely related to the Triceratops.
The nose horn of the Wendiceratops is another of its unique features. It was moderately sized but longer than that of its earlier predecessors.
This suggests that it was a transitional form between the older ceratopsian dinosaur with short nose horns and the younger ones with long horns.
4. Diabloceratops
| Name | Diabloceratops |
| Number of Horns | 4 |
| Name Meaning | Devil-horned face |
| Pronunciation | dy-uh-bloh-SER-uh-tops |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Ornithischia & Ceratopsia |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 1.5 to 2 meters (5 to 6.5 feet) |
| Length | 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 feet) |
| Weight | 1-2 tons (2000-4000 lbs) |
| Location | North America |
Another dinosaur named after the devil, the Diabloceratops, lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous Period.
Its name takes root from the word “Diablo,” the Spanish word for devil.
This dinosaur had a pair of horns above its eyes and another pair above its frills.
The brow horns were shorter and deeper compared to the considerably longer frill horns.
The long frill horns of the Diabloceratops curved forwards and sideways.
It also had a small nose-horn to complete its menacing look.
Diabloceratops lived during the later part of the Cretaceous Period, between 82 and 77 million years ago.
3. Spiclypeus
| Name | Spiclypeus |
| Number of Horns | 9 |
| Name Meaning | Spiked shield |
| Pronunciation | spy-KLIE-pee-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Ornithischia & Ceratopsia |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 1.8 to 2 meters (6 to 6.5 feet) |
| Length | 4.5 to 5.5 meters (15 to 18 feet) |
| Weight | 3.3-4.4 tons (6,600–8,800 lbs) |
| Location | North America |
The Spiclypeus was a relative of the Triceratops, but it had more horns than unusual.
In addition to the long sideward pointing brow horns and the snout horn (which was shorter and positioned higher in this dinosaur compared to that of its relatives), Spiclypeus also had six frill horns that point in different directions.
The dinosaur’s name translates as “spiked shield,” which references the unique ornamentations on its frill.
Spiclypeus measured about 4.5 to 6 meters in length (15–20 feet) and weighed about 3 to 5 tons on average.
2. Styracosaurus
| Name | Styracosaurus |
| Number of Horns | 9 |
| Name Meaning | Spiked lizard |
| Pronunciation | stye-RAK-uh-SAWR-uhs |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Ornithischia & Ceratopsia |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 2.75 meters (9 feet) |
| Length | 5.5 to 6 meters (18 to 20 feet) |
| Weight | 1.8–2.7 tons (3,968-5,952 lbs) |
| Location | North America |
Styracosaurus had just one long nasal horn on its face.
This horn was up to 60 centimeters (2 feet) long and about 15 centimeters (6 inches) wide.
To add to the menacing appearance of this dinosaur, it also had a row of long horns arranged distinctively at the end of its frills.
The number of frill horns varied from one Styracosaurus species to the other but were at least four in all species.
With a length of about 50 to 55 centimeters (20–22 inches), the frill spikes were almost as long as the nasal horns.
In addition to the prominent horns, some Styracosaurus species had small knobs or hook-like projections adorning their frills.
The Styracosaurus’ name, which translates as “spiked lizard,” is a reference to the unique arrangement of horns and spikes that adorned the dinosaur’s face.
1. Kosmoceratops
| Name | Kosmoceratops |
| Number of Horns | 15 |
| Name Meaning | Ornate horned face |
| Pronunciation | kohz-moh-SER-uh-tops |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Ornithischia, & Ceraptosia |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 1.8 to 2 meters (6–6.5 feet) |
| Length | 4.5 meters (14.7 feet) |
| Weight | 1.2 tons (2,645 lbs) |
| Location | North America |
While most prehistoric dinosaurs kept their number of horns at around three or five, Kosmoceratops is a record breaker for the highest number of horns on a dinosaur.
You can count at least 15 horns or horn-like projections on this dinosaur’s head, which means you wouldn’t be wrong to describe it as the “horniest dinosaur” ever found.
The dinosaur, which lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous, had two prominent brow horn cores oriented upward and to the sides like that of a bull.
This is in addition to up to ten hook-like projections adorning the dinosaur’s downward-curving frill.
Kosmoceratops also retained the prominent snout horn seen in other ceratopsians and one horn projecting out of each cheek.
Sources
- https://www.britannica.com/animal/Triceratops
- https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/s/Styracosaurus.htm
- https://www.britannica.com/animal/Pachyrhinosaurus
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torosaurus
- https://www.britannica.com/animal/Pentaceratops
- https://nhmu.utah.edu/kosmoceratops-richardsoni
- https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stygimoloch
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasutoceratops
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnotaurus
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