Dinosaur: discover “Horridus”, the most complete Triceratops skeleton in the world

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This Triceratops skeleton is the most complete in the world

This fossil of Triceratops dating from the end of the Cretaceous is the most complete in the world. Its skull weighing more than 200 kg, its vertebral column, its limbs and the marks of its tendons will make it possible to better understand the ecology of this extinct giant.

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67 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous, a specimen of Triceratops horrible died in Montana, probably near a river or in a stream bed. The rapid burial of this dinosaur preserved it until 2014, when it was discovered under 3.5 meters of sandstone. Its excavation required more than a year of work for the cleaning and preparation of huge blocks of rock; transporting it to the Melbourne Museum required crates sometimes measuring the size of a car.

Excavation of the “Horridus” specimen took over a year. © Heinrich Mallison

One Triceratops 85% complete

The fossil individual was named “Horridus”, after the name of the species and it is the most complete of the kind Triceratops known to date. The skeleton is indeed 85% complete, it includes more than 260 bones and weighs more than a ton, of which more than 260 kg of skull. The preservation of the skeleton is so exceptional that impressions of skin and tendons are visible on certain bones. The sex of the individual could not be determined but estimates indicate thathorror almost measured seven meters long and two meters high. The giant fossil was acquired by the Museum in Melbourne, Australia, and has been on display there since March this year. Waiting to face T. horridus in Australia it is possible to see the 3D specimen skeleton on the museum website.

'Horridus', one of the most complete Triceratops fossils ever discovered. To see it in 3D, it's here © Melbourne museum

“Horridus”, one of the fossils of Triceratops the most complete ever discovered. To see it in 3D, it’s here © Melbournemuseum

Triceratops was as tall as a Melbourne tram: 2m high, 8m long. Artist representation. © Raoul Ramos, Melbourne museum

This fossil is the Rosetta Stone for understanding Triceratops. © Melbournemuseum

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