Cretaceous
Triceratops
Triceratops horridus
The catalogue presents Triceratops as a herbivore member of Ceratopsidae that lived during the Cretaceous, between 68.0–66.0 Ma. Its estimated range is 8.0–9.0 m in length and 6.1–12.0 t in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Lance Formation, Wyoming, USA. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.
Evidence-backed summary
For Triceratops, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Marsh (1889).
The PBDB places it in Triceratopsini, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Ceratopsidae.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Ceratopsidae
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range runs from the Campanian to the Maastrichtian.
The PBDB catalogues 41 occurrences, with material from the Lance Formation (26), from the Hell Creek Formation (10) and from the Scollard Formation (2). Provenance: United States and Canada.
The catalogue records the holotype as YPM 1820 and the type locality as “Lance Formation, Wyoming, USA”.
- YPM 1820
- Lance Formation, Wyoming, USA
The catalogue's reference measurements are 8.0–9.0 m in length and 6.1–12.0 t in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 8.0-9.0 m
- 6.1-12.0 tons
The record gathers 154 bibliographic references registered in the PBDB, listed below.
Where it lived
Fossil occurrences on today’s map and in the tectonic reconstruction.
Positions reconstructed by PBDB/GPlates, not observed; this is not an exact habitat map.
Artistic reconstruction · speculative details
Soft tissues and colours are speculative; the external form is an artistic interpretation.
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Physical Specifications
- Length
- 8.0–9.0 m
- Weight
- 6.1–12.0 t
- Period
- Cretaceous
- Time range
- 68.0–66.0 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 1889
- Described by
- Othniel Charles Marsh
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Ornithischia
- Family
- Ceratopsidae
- Genus
- Triceratops
- Species
- T. horridus
Data status
Taxonomic name matched to PBDB and checked on 2026-08-08.
Taxonomic linkage does not automatically validate size, mass, behaviour or appearance.
- Type specimen
- YPM 1820
- Type locality
- Lance Formation, Wyoming, USA