The ‘Alien Horn-Faced’ Dinosaur

While herbivores are usually considered mild-mannered, the newly identified Xenoceratops foremostensis (Latin for alien horned-face) certainly doesn’t look the part.

The massive, spiky-headed, two-ton, four-horned prehistoric beast roamed North America 78 million years ago, according to scientists. It is the oldest known large, horned reptile ever discovered in North America. But unlike many horned-reptiles, the Xenoceratops used its horns for self-defense, not hunting.

Measuring approximately 20 feet long,  Xenoceratops was average-size for a horned dinosaur. It would have lived alongside predators related to Tyrannosaurus rex.