Genus
Valid Extinct

Centrosaurus

Lambe 1905
Etymology Reptile à corne pointue

Centrosaurus is a genus of centrosaurine ceratopsid dinosaur from the Campanian age of the Late Cretaceous of Canada. Its remains have been found in the Dinosaur Park Formation, dating from 76.5 to 75.5 million years ago. The type and only species seen as valid today is Centrosaurus apertus.

Temporal range
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
Paleogene
Neogene
252 201 145 66 0 Ma
PBDB occurrences
56
Group
Dinosaures
Herbivore Ground dwelling Terrestrial
Centrosaurus
click to enlarge
Centrosaurus apertus specimen ROM 767. Exhibit in the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This exhibit is old enough so that it is in the public domain, and photography was permitted in the museum. I took this photograph and release it into the public domain. © Daderot · CC0 · Wikimedia
PBDB ↗ Wikipedia ↗
Classification
Dinosauria Unranked clade
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Ornithischia Unranked clade
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Neornithischia Unranked clade
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Pyrodontia Unranked clade
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Cerapoda Unranked clade
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Marginocephalia Unranked clade
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Ceratopsia Suborder
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Ceratopsidae Family
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Centrosaurinae Subfamily
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Centrosaurini Unranked clade
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Centrosaurus Genus
Measurements
Length
6,1 m ⓘ
Centrosaurus apertus
6 m ⓘ
Mass
2 800 kg ⓘ
Centrosaurus apertus
Fossil sites 56 geolocated sites
Distribution
Top countries
🇨🇦 Canada
53
🇺🇸 United States
3
Geological formations
Dinosaur Park
47
Oldman
4
Judith River
2
Temporal distribution
Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)
56
Species (5)
Centrosaurus apertus 84 Ma
Centrosaurus longirostris subjective synonym of Centrosaurus apertus 84 Ma
Monoclonius cutleri subjective synonym of Centrosaurus apertus 84 Ma
Monoclonius dawsoni subjective synonym of Centrosaurus apertus 84 Ma
Monoclonius flexus subjective synonym of Centrosaurus apertus 84 Ma
Images 2
Bibliography
Original description
L. M. Lambe. 1905. On the squamoso-parietal crest of the horned dinosaurs Centrosaurus apertus and Monoclonius canadensis from the Cretaceous of Alberta. Proceedings and Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada, series 2 10(4):1-9
Bibliography (20)
J. C. Mallon, R. B. Holmes, and S. J. Rufolo. 2023. Development and homology of the medial parietal ornamentation in centrosaurine ceratopsids (Dinosauria, Ornithischia). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 42(5):e2211637:1-6 DOI ↗
K. Chiba, M. J. Ryan, and D. R. Braman, D. A. Eberth, E. E. Scott, C. M. Brown, Y. Kobayashi, D. C. Evans. 2015. Taphonomy of a monodominant Centrosaurus apertus (Dinosauria: Ceratopsia) bonebed from the upper Oldman Formation of southeastern Alberta. Palaios 30:655-667 DOI ↗
D. A. Eberth, D. B. Brinkman, and V. Barkas. 2010. A centrosaurine mega-bonebed from the Upper Cretaceous of southern Alberta: implications for behavior and death events. New Perspectives on Horned Dinosaurs: The Royal Tyrrell Museum Ceratopsian Symposium
M. J. Ryan, R. Holmes, and A. P. Russell. 2007. A revision of the late Campanian centrosaurine ceratopsid genus Styracosaurus from the Western Interior of North America. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 27(4):944-962 DOI ↗
P. J. Currie. 2005. History of research. Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed. Indiana University Press, Bloomington
P. J. Currie and D. A. Russell. 2005. The geographic and stratigraphic distribution of articulated and associated dinosaur remains. Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed. Indiana University Press, Bloomington
D. A. Eberth and M. A. Getty. 2005. Ceratopsian bonebeds: occurrence, origins, and significance. Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed. Indiana University Press, Bloomington
D. B. Brinkman, M. J. Ryan, and D. A. Eberth. 1998. The paleogeographic and stratigraphic distribution of ceratopsids (Ornithischia) in the Upper Judith River Group of western Canada. Palaios 13:160-169 DOI ↗
M. Getty, D. A. Eberth, and D. B. Brinkman, D. Tanke, M. Ryan, M. Vickaryous. 1997. Taphonomy of two Centrosaurus bonebeds in the Dinosaur Park Formation, Alberta, Canada. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 17(3, suppl.):48A
W. E. Miller, J. L. Baer, and K. L. Stadtman, B. B. Britt. 1991. The Dry Mesa Dinosaur Quarry, Mesa County, Colorado. Guidebook for Dinosaur Quarries and Tracksites Tour, Western Colorado and Eastern Utah
A. R. Fiorillo. 1989. The vertebrate fauna from the Judith River Formation (Late Cretaceous) of Wheatland and Golden Valley counties, Montana. Mosasaur 4:127-142
J. Danis. 1986. Quarries of Dinosaur Provincial Park. In B. G. Naylor (ed.), Field Trip Guidebook to Dinosaur Provincial Park, 2 June 1986. Dinosaur Systematics Symposium, Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Drumheller, Alberta
P. J. Currie. 1980. Mesozoic vertebrate life in Alberta and British Columbia. Mesozoic Vertebrate Life 1:27-40
P. Dodson. 1971. Sedimentology and taphonomy of the Oldman Formation (Campanian), Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta (Canada). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 10:21-74 DOI ↗
C. M. Sternberg. 1940. Ceratopsidae from Alberta. Journal of Paleontology 14(5):468-480
R. S. Lull. 1933. A revision of the Ceratopsia or horned dinosaurs. Memoirs of the Peabody Museum of Natural History 3(3):1-175 DOI ↗
B. Brown. 1917. A complete skeleton of the horned dinosaur Monoclonius, and description of a second skeleton showing skin impressions. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 37(10):281-306
B. Brown. 1914. A complete skull of Monoclonius, from the Belly River Cretaceous of Alberta. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 33(34):549-558
L. M. Lambe. 1905. On the squamoso-parietal crest of the horned dinosaurs Centrosaurus apertus and Monoclonius canadensis from the Cretaceous of Alberta. Proceedings and Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada, series 2 10(4):1-9
L. M. Lambe. 1902. New genera and species from the Belly River Series (mid-Cretaceous). Geological Survey of Canada Contributions to Canadian Palaeontology 3(2):25-81