10 Horned Dinosaurs That You Should Know

When it comes to dinosaurs, everyone is familiar with them. Although they are now extinct, they are still well-known in the world and have many fans who are curious about dinosaurs. So which dinosaurs have horns on their heads? Let’s find out together!

1. Triceratops
The triceratops is one of the most famous dinosaurs. Their most notable features are the long, sharp horns on their heads, and the huge neck shield, reminiscent of modern rhinos. The function of their three horns and neck shield has long been debated. Traditionally these structures were thought to be used as weapons against predators, but recent theories suggest that these structures may have been used in courtship, as well as in the display of dominance, as in the horns of modern reindeer, goats, and unicorns.

Realistic Triceratops Model>>
2. Centrosaurus
The characteristic of the Centrosaurus is that there are two small forward horns at the top of the head. Above their necks, there is a bony shield with some small undulations around the edges. Scientists believe that the neck shield may be a status symbol. It is suspected that some Centrosaurus had bright colors on their neck shields, which made them look different, which helped them attract the opposite sex.

3. Styracosaurus
Styracosaurus were herbivorous dinosaurs with a docile personality, however, their sharp horns and prickly neck shields made them dare to fight against carnivorous dinosaurs and even Tyrannosaurus rex. In combat, being wounded by the horns of Styracosaurus is fatal, and the spikes around their neck shields can effectively protect the neck from injury. Therefore, in many cases, Styracosaurus do not need to fight, and they only need to sway their sharp horns to scare off most attackers.

4. Ankylosaurus
Ankylosaurus appeared after Stegosaurus disappeared from the earth in the late Cretaceous. The body of this dinosaur is covered with thick armor, with several rows of dagger-like thorns on the back, a pair of horns on the top of the head, and a hammer-like tail. These physical characteristics resist most predators.

5. Carnotaurus
Unlike many horned dinosaurs, the two horns of Carnotaurus were not located on the nose, but on the forehead. It is theorized that the head of Carnotaurus could withstand large forces, such as the impact of chasing prey at high speed. Another explanation is that the horns of Carnotaurus may have been used in horizontal collisions resulting from intraspecies fighting over territory, courtship, or leadership.

6. Avaceratops
Avaceratops is usually depicted with a low, sharply forward-curved nose horn, like a corkscrew, although this horn is probably only found in adults. Unlike Triceratops, Avaceratops’ horns were low and rounded. And at the top of the small head shield has a pair of large sharp horns extending to the back.

7. Pentaceratops
Pentaceratops (Latin for “pentagon face”) got its name because paleontologists initially thought it had five horns on its face. Actually, it only has three horns-a horn on the nose, and two horns on the eyebrows. The other two horns that paleontologists saw were actually their cheekbones.

8. Chasmosaurus
The appearance of chasmosaurus is very similar to that of Triceratops. Although it is petite, it has a more exaggerated and gorgeous neck shield than Triceratops. But its neck shield is hollow, so scientists believe that its shield is too fragile to provide a defensive function. It may be used to regulate body temperature or intimidate enemies or courtship.

9. Ceratosaurus
Ceratosaurus was a very ferocious carnivorous dinosaur in the late Jurassic period. It has a pair of short horns above its nose, and there are similar short horns in front of its eyes. There is a lot of controversy about the role of its short horns in the academic world. Some scholars believe that its horns are a weapon for attack and defense, some scholars believe that it is used for courtship, and some scholars believe that its nose horns only have the function of the display.

10. Stygimoloch
Stygimoloch is a bizarre-looking dinosaur that resembles a wild goat in size and habits. Their heads have a hard, rounded bony top surrounded by sharp spikes that look like both sheep and deer. What does this weird head decoration do? According to scientists’ analysis, it is likely to be a fighting weapon between males in the group. The rounded head can withstand violent collisions, and the horns can be used to collide with each other and act as a weapon to defend against the enemy.

Although dinosaurs have become extinct, there are still many unknown secrets about them. Let’s look forward to the more secrets about dinosaurs in the future with Mydinosaurs!