A giant frill looming over its head, a sharp beak, and a horny face: the Chasmosaurus must have been an awesome sight. Its name means “Chasm Lizard” because of the two large holes that take up most of its frill.
Fun Facts –
Chasmosaurus was a ceratopsian, which means it had a beak, horns, and a frill, similar to a Triceratops.
- It lived in Canada during the Late Cretaceous, 76.5 to 75.5 million years ago.
- The Chasmosaurus grew 16 feet long from beak to tail and was an herbivore.
- It had three horns on its head—two smaller ones above its eyes and a larger one on its snout.
- Scientists wonder what the frill was for. It might have been for defense, although the two holes in it, known as fenestrae would have made it pretty fragile. It might have been used to help the animal regulate its body heat, similar to how the large ears of an elephant cool it on a hot day. Or it might have served some purpose in communication—finding a mate or scaring off the competition.
- Chasmosaurus skin impressions have been found and they’re similar to a Triceratop’s skin, rough, pebbly scales.
- A baby Chasmosaurus dinosaur skeleton was discovered a few years ago. It was 5 feet long.
Learn More
Visit Jurassic World Evolution to learn more about Chasmosaurus.
