Styracosaurus: the plant eater with a crown of spikes
Styracosaurus carried a large horn on its nose. Long spikes also projected from the frill behind its head. It lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous. Despite its sharp-looking headgear, it ate plants. Its beak and teeth handled the food that kept its heavy body moving. The long nose horn stood in front of the frill spikes. Those features point in different directions when the head is seen from the side. Looking at a skull from several angles helps explain its unusual shape. [1] [2]
A head that is easy to recognise
The frill was a bony structure extending behind the skull. Its long spikes gave Styracosaurus a very different outline from Triceratops. The two belonged to the wider group of horned dinosaurs. Members of that group had many different horn and frill shapes. A herd of horned dinosaurs was not a collection of identical faces. Even within a horned dinosaur group, skull details can differ. The number, position and direction of projections help researchers compare specimens. That is more useful than treating every horned dinosaur as a smaller Triceratops. [1] [2]
The meal behind the horns
Styracosaurus walked on four legs. Adults reached roughly five to six metres in length. A beak at the front of the mouth cropped food. Teeth farther back processed the plant material. Most of that feeding equipment is less obvious in artwork than the horns. Cropping and processing food are separate tasks. The beak handled the first contact with a plant. The teeth then worked on food farther inside the mouth. [1] [2]
Signals as well as defence
Horns could have mattered in defence, but that is not the only possibility. Elaborate head shapes may also have helped animals recognise or display to one another. Scientists compare growth and differences between fossils to test these ideas. The same structure could have served more than one purpose. A striking face can be a signal as well as protection. A young animal's head can differ from an adult's. Changes during growth must therefore be considered before every difference is called a separate species. Good comparisons need both the shape and the animal's stage of life. [1] [2]