Koreaceratops Dinosaur is the name that has been given to a species of genus Ceratopsian that lived in what is now the Korean peninsula during the Late Cretaceous period. It is the first ornithischian dinosaur species to be described from Korea. Discovered in Won-am, Gyeongsangnam-do in South Korea, the species' remains were found in claystone. Koreaeratops was discovered by palaeontologists Yong-in Yu and Young-Yu-Koo in May 2003 and described in the journal Science in 2004 as a new species.
When first discovered, the species was classified under the genus Psittacosaurus. However, the type genus soon changed to Ceratopsian when it was revealed that the species was larger than the psittacosauroid species. At that time, the species was described as being similar to Psittacosaurus, however the unique identifiers of the skull made it stand out, as well as a reduced nasal horn and enlarged parietal fenestrae. The skull of Koreaceratops has a pair of tall but short nasal horns, and two small horns above its eyes.
Koreaceratops Facts :
| Name: | Koreaceratops Dinosaurs |
| Size: | 1-2 meters |
| Main Facts: | Koreaceratops is the name that has been given to a species of genus Ceratopsian that lived in what is now the Korean peninsula during the Late Cretaceous period. |
The neck frill is made up of small squamosals and five triangular, pointed epiossifications, which were first reported in this genus. The genus also had a row of large, symmetrical and curved epiossifications on the neck frill. The basal horn on the muzzle curved downward, that of the cheeks curved upward, and that of the muzzle curved forward, thus giving the genus a dragon-like look.
Koreaceratops was relatively small compared to other Ceratopsian species, measuring at 1-2 meters in length. It is estimated that they lived as solitary animals, and were most likely vegetarian herbivores. Koreaceratops is providing new insight into how the Ceratopsian group, which originated in Asia, became more diverse over time. By uncovering more about the species and grouping them with other Asian Ceratopsians, palaeontologists are slowly piecing together the complete spectrum of Ceratopsian species. It is hoped that future studies will provide more clarity on the relationships between the various species of this subgroup.
