Large Triceratops Fossilized Frill Section

**Originally Listed At $2000**

North America, late Cretaceous Period, ca. 68 to 66 million years ago. Wow! An large fossilized section of a massive brown frill from a triceratops (Triceratops horridus), one of the most famous dinosaurs. First found just west of Denver, Colorado, in the town of Morrison, in 1887, by Arthur Lakes and named by Othniel Charles Marsh, these large horned animals were initially mistaken for a form of bison before they realized they represented a type of dinosaur known as a Ceratopsian. The triceratops skull was heavy and distinctive: with three horns, a parrot-like beak, and a frill that could reach three feet wide, it was one of the largest skulls known from any land animal. Size: 26" W x 17.5" H (66 cm x 44.4 cm)

Interestingly, most horned animals travel in herds, but triceratops has been found more frequently in individual contexts. Puncture marks on the fossil frills of males of the species shown that they used their horns to fight each other, with some paleontologists believing that this was done to impress females. Finds of blood vessels throughout the horns and frills of these animals suggest that they were not just weapons, but also may have been used for sexual display, much like the antlers and horns of modern species like reindeer and mountain goats.

Provenance: private J.H. collection, Beaverton, Oregon, USA

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#150471
Condition Report: Expertly repaired and stabilized with approximately 80% original material. This is just a section, not a complete frill.