A dinosaur habitat right next to rivers are floodplains. Due to the . Their neural spines were elongated and sub-rectangular in shape with a tendency to become more elongated in posterior vertebrae. Protoceratops used to be characterized as nocturnal because of the large sclerotic ring around the eye, but they are now thought to have been cathemeral (active at dawn and dusk). Diabloceratops was a medium-sized, moderately built, ground-dwelling, quadrupedal herbivore, that could grow up . Protoceratops andrewsi. 'first horned face') is a genus of small protoceratopsid dinosaurs that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous, around 75 to 71 million years ago. janetteasche / Getty Images.
Author Topic: Protoceratops (Read 5473 times) - ztcdd.org Information about the Protoceratop's habitat is limited to fossils found by paleontologists. The dominant lithology is reddish-brown, poorly cemented, fine grained sandstone with some conglomerate, and caliche. Deserts present a harsh ecological challenge to all forms of life, and dinosaurs were no exception. [74], In 2001 Lambert and team upon the description of P. hellenikorhinus also noted variation within individuals. Protoceratops are dinosaurs confirmed to appear in Additional Creatures: Endemics. Protoceratops var ett fyrfotat djur, ganska lik de mer vlknda ceratopsiderna, ssom Triceratops, Centrosaurus och Styracosaurus, men var mycket mindre; den mtte knappt 1,8 - 2 meter frn nos till svansspets, och hade ungefr samma kroppsstorlek som en tam gris eller ett fr. At least 8 body fossils of Protoceratops present active teeth marks, which were interpreted as feeding traces. The nests are small, bowl-shaped depressions that contain as many as 15 babies, each about 6 inches long (see Fig. The premaxilla had two alveoli on its lower edgea character that was present at least on P. andrewsi. Fact or Fiction. [43] Although similar in overall body size, the latter had a relatively greater skull length. 37 different specimens have been found by paleontologists. What was a Protoceratops's habitat? They had a short but powerful tail and walked on four thick legs weighing up to 11,000 kg (24,250 pounds) and could reach up to 9m (30 feet) in length and 3m (10 feet) in height. Makovicky and team also stated that as the maximum/radical changes on the neck frill and nasal horn were present in most adult individuals, trying to differentiate sexual dimorphism (anatomical differences between sexes) in adult Protoceratops may not be a good practice. In 2010, it was named by Alan L. Titus, Catherine A. Forster, Mark A. Loewen, Andrew A. Farke, Scott D. Sampson, Joshua A. Smith, and Eric M. Roberts. The formation is known for its vertebrate fossils in life-like poses, most of which are preserved in unstructured sandstone, indicating a catastrophic rapid burial. Obtained results showed instead that several regions of the skull of Protoceratops independently varied in their rate of growth, ontogenetic shape and morphology; a high growth of the frill during ontogeny in relation to other body regions; and a large variability of the neck frill independent of size. Protoceratops Shared its Habitat with Oviraptor.
Dinosaur Posters Classroom Research Science Display Decor Bulletin Board Velociraptor, facts and photos - Science Protoceratops was a predecessor of the more familiar horned dinosaurs such as Triceratops.
Hard news: Early dinosaur eggs were soft, scientists say Additionally, the reported borings have a structure that differs from traces made by dermestid beetles. Its type species is P. montanus. These results suggest that they functioned as socio-sexual dominance signals, or, they were mostly used in display. [120], Later in 2010, Kirkland and Kenneth Bader redescribed and discussed the numerous feeding traces from this Protoceratops specimen, which they nicknamed Fox Site Protoceratops.
Protoceratops Lived in a "Stressed" Environment P. andrewsi bore two small, peg to spike-like teeth that were located on the underside of each premaxilla. Like other ceratops, lived in a terrestrial habitat. Protoceratops itself was considered by the authors to be somehow related to ankylosaurians based on skull traits, with a more intensified degree to Triceratops and relatives. [11], Fastovsky in 1997 examined the geology at Tugriken Shireh providing insights into the taphonomy of Protoceratops. [55], In 2020, Czepiski analyzed several long-undescribed protoceratopsid specimens from the Udyn Sayr and Zamyn Khondt localities of the Djadokhta Formation. Protoceratops Pronunciation: pro-toe-ker-ah-tops Name meaning: 'first horned face' Type of dinosaur: ceratopsian Length: 1.8m Weight: 400kg. Quick facts about Protoceratops: Existed from 145 million years ago to 66 million years ago; Lived in a terrestrial habitat; Was a herbivore The third to the sixth dorsal (thoracic) ribs were the longest ribs in the skeleton of Protoceratops, the following ribs became smaller in size as they progressed toward the end of the vertebral column. He largely considered elongatoolithid eggs to belong to Protoceratops because adult skeletons were found in close proximity to nests, interpreting this as an evidence for parental care. To accommodate this equipment, the skull of Protoceratops was almost comically large compared to the rest of its body, giving it a distinctly "top . The coracoids were relatively elliptical, and sometimes coosified (fused) to the scapulae.
Protoceratops - Facts and Pictures Two other groups were found at the Tugriken Shireh locality; one group containing six individuals and another group of about 12 skeletons.
Protoceratops andrewsi - Carnegie Museum of Natural History The forelimbs had five fingers of which only the first three bore wide and flat unguals. The centra (centrum; body of the vertebrae) of the first three cervicals were coossified together (atlas, axis and third cervical respectively) creating a rigid structure. The habitat seems to have been quite dry . Reported traces were identified as pits, notches, borings, and channels across the skeletons, most notably at limb joint areas.
Bezpatne Jaszczurka Z Falbank zdjcia i wektory They had a prominent parrot-like beak at the tip of the jaws. It was first discovered in Mongoliain the Gobi Desertby Roy Chapman in 1922. Though more remains of Protoceratops were collected in later years of the expeditions, they were most abundant in the 1922 to 1925 seasons. [76] A large and well-developed bony ridge on the parietal has been observed on another P. andrewsi specimen, MPC-D 100/551, also from Udyn Sayr. The exact size and shape of the frill varied by individual; some had short, compact frills, while others had frills nearly half the length of the skull. The team also suggested that a swimming adaptation could have been useful to avoid aquatic predators, such as crocodylomorphs. Protoceratops cf. All teeth had a single root (lower part inserted in the alveoli). ", "Adaptive Features of Protoceratopsids (Ornithischia: Neoceratopsia)", "The first ceratopsian dinosaur from South Korea", "Sexual Dimorphism in the Postcranial Skeleton of Protoceratopsids (Neoceratopsia, Protoceratopsidae) from Mongolia", "Males Resemble Females: Re-Evaluating Sexual Dimorphism in Protoceratops andrewsi (Neoceratopsia, Protoceratopsidae)", "On Polymorphism of Protoceratops andrewsi Granger et Gregory, 1923 (Protoceratopidae, Neoceratopsia)", "Three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis of the skull of Protoceratops andrewsi supports a socio-sexual signalling role for the ceratopsian frill", "Evidence of predatory behavior by carnivorous dinosaurs", "Evolution of vision and hearing modalities in theropod dinosaurs", 10.1671/0272-4634(2008)28[432:ANSOVD]2.0.CO;2, "A new dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous Wulansuhai Formation of Inner Mongolia, China", "A new oviraptorid from the Upper Cretaceous of Nei Mongol,China, and its stratigraphic implications", "A monodactyl nonavian dinosaur and the complex evolution of the alvarezsauroid hand", "A new species of the ankylosaurid dinosaur Pinacosaurus from the Late Cretaceous of Inner Mongolia (P.R. Type A eggs differed from type B eggs in having a pinched end.
Protoceratops | Natural History Museum A horn-like structure was present over the nose, which varied from a single structure in P. andrewsi to a double, paired structure in P. hellenikorhinus. During late 1922 the expedition explored the famous Flaming Cliffs of the Shabarakh Usu region of the Djadokhta Formation, Gobi Desert, now known as the Bayn Dzak region. Like other ceratopsians, it had a rostral bone on the upper beak and a small frill around the . [59], In 2009 Kyo Tanque and team suggested that basal ceratopsians, such as protoceratopsids, were most likely low browsers due to their relatively small body size. It was a member of the Protoceratopsidae, a group of early . The team concluded that the frill of Protoceratops can be characterized by these ontogenetic changes. [5][46][47][48], All vertebrae of Protoceratops had ribs attached on the lateral sides, except for the series of caudals. [36] In 2022 Phil R. Bell and colleagues briefly described these potential soft tissues based on the photographs provided by Brown and Schlaikjer, as well as other ceratopsian soft tissues. [28] The description of the eggshell of Protoceratopsidovum has further confirmed that they in fact belong to a maniraptoran, possibly deinonychosaur taxon. However, as the group could have loss members by predation or other factors, the remnants individuals would aggregate into larger groups to increase their survival. [69], Gregory and Mook in 1925 suggested that Protoceratops was partially aquatic because of its large feetbeing larger than the handsand the very long neural spines found in the caudal (tail) vertebrae. bored dinosaur skeletons and associated pupae from the Djadokhta Fm. [50], Furthermore, with the re-examinations of Turanoceratops in 2009 and Zuniceratopstwo critical ceratopsian taxa regarding the evolutionary history of ceratopsidsin 2010 it was concluded that the origin of ceratopsids is unrelated to, and older than the fossil record of Protoceratops and relatives. changes in the late part of the Campanian stage. Some elements were damaged in the process such as the rostrum. Protoceratops (/ p r o t o s r t p s /; lit. The triceratops was squat and powerfully built, around the size of an elephant. He concluded that the prominent displacement of pectoral elements and right forelimb was caused by an external force that tried to tear them out. Most notably, the team discovered the first fossilized dinosaur eggs near the holotype of Oviraptor and given how abundant Protoceratops was, the nest was attributed to this taxon.
Descargar Jurassic VR Dinos on Cardboard en PC | GameLoop Oficial Later members, including ceratopsids like Centrosaurus and Triceratops, became very large quadrupeds and . It lived alongside Shantungosaurus, Zhuchengtyrannus, and Zhuchengceratops . [82], In 2010 David Hone with team reported a new interaction between Velociraptor and Protoceratops based on tooth marks. Fastovsky pointed out these two factors combined indicate that this site was host to high biotic activity, mainly composed of arthropod scavengers who were also involved in the recycling of Protoceratops carcasses. [77], In 2016 Hone and colleagues analyzed 37 skulls of P. andrewsi, finding that the neck frill of Protoceratops (in both length and width) underwent positive allometry during ontongeny, that is, a faster growth/development of this region than the rest of the animal.
Protoceratops | Prehistoric Kingdom Wiki | Fandom The tibia (shinbone) was long and slender with a wide lower end. The first three fingers had unguals (claw bones) and were the largest digits. In addition, Dodson suggested that traits like the nasal horn and frill in male Protoceratops may have been important visual displays for attracting females and repelling other males, or even predators. Such traits were regarded as representing male P. hellenikorhinus. [68] In addition, the high occurrence of protoceratopsid fossils in arid-deposited formations indicates that these ceratopsians preferred warm environments. As this behavior would have been common in Protoceratops, it predisposed individuals to become entombed alive during the sudden collapse of their burrows and high energy sand-bearing eventssuch as sandstormsand thus explaining the standing in-situ posture of some specimens. It lived in the Cretaceous period and inhabited Asia. Based on this reasoning, they excluded Bainoceratops from their phylogenetic analysis. On the classification of dinosaur eggs", "Theropod and protoceratopsian dinosaur eggs from the Cretaceous of Mongolia and Kazakhstan", "A theropod dinosaur embryo and the affinities of the Flaming Cliffs Dinosaur eggs", "Phylogenetic analysis of reproductive traits of maniraptoran theropods and its implications for egg parataxonomy", "Dinosaur incubation periods directly determined from growth-line counts in embryonic teeth show reptilian-grade development", "The lost Protoceratops mummy - Addendum", "The exquisitely preserved integument of Psittacosaurus and the scaly skin of ceratopsian dinosaurs", "A protoceratopsid skeleton with an associated track from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia", "Appendicular skeleton of Protoceratops andrewsi (Dinosauria, Ornithischia): comparative morphology, ontogenetic changes, and the implications for non-ceratopsid ceratopsian locomotion", "Comparative anatomy of selected basal ceratopsian dentitions", "Key to Protoceratopoid Vertebrae (Ceratopsia, Dinosauria) from Mongolia", "A Method for Estimation of Lateral and Vertical Mobility of Platycoelous Vertebrae of Tetrapods", "Structural Features of Neural Spines of the Caudal Vertebrae of Protoceratopoids (Ornithischia: Neoceratopsia)", "A rationale for phylogenetic definitions, with application to the higher level taxonomy of Dinosauria", "Turanoceratops tardabilisthe first ceratopsid dinosaur from Asia", "Zuniceratops christopheri: The North American Ceratopsid Sister Taxon Reconstructed on the Basis of New Data", "A New Leptoceratopsid (Ornithischia, Ceratopsia) with a Unique Ischium from the Upper Cretaceous of Shandong Province, China", "The postcranial skeleton of Bagaceratops (Ornithischia: Neoceratopsia) from the Baruungoyot Formation (Upper Cretaceous) in Hermiin Tsav of southwestern Gobi, Mongolia", "A new oviraptorid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Bayan Mandahu, Inner Mongolia", "New protoceratopsid specimens improve the age correlation of the Upper Cretaceous Gobi Desert strata", "The Jaw Musculature in Protoceratops and in Other Ceratopsians", "The many myths, some old, some new, of dinosaurology", "Jaw Mechanics in Basal Ceratopsia (Ornithischia, Dinosauria)", "Repeated Evolution of Divergent Modes of Herbivory in Non-avian Dinosaurs", "Positive allometry for exaggerated structures in the ceratopsian dinosaur Protoceratops andrewsi supports socio-sexual signaling", "Morphological changes of Protoceratops andrewsi skull with ontogenetic processes", "Bone histology of Protoceratops andrewsi from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia and its biological implications", "A Reconstruction of the Locomotion of Protoceratops", "The Function of Large Eyes in Protoceratops: A Nocturnal Ceratopsian? Several of the embryos were associated with a black to white halo (circumference). Protoceratopsidae is a family of basal (primitive) ceratopsians from the Late Cretaceous period. He agreed with Brown and Schlaikjer in that a high, well-developed nasal horn represents a male trait and the opposite indicates females. The AMNH is the best place to see it in the Americas, with a tableaux of a couple at a nesting sight and a rather famous skull growth series along the wall next to it. A green oasis has popped up in Hanoi, a city choked by smog. [14], Protoceratopsid remains were recovered in the 1970s from the Khulsan locality of the Barun Goyot Formation, Mongolia, during the work of several Polish-Mongolian paleontological expeditions. Gregory miu t nm 1923, Protoceratops ban u c cho l t tin ca . One specimen (MPC-D 100/551B) was shown to present skull traits that are intermediate between Bagaceratops rozhdestvenskyi (which is native to adjacent Bayan Mandahu and Barun Goyot) and P. andrewsi. At least two individuals within this block are preserved with their arms at a level above the legs, suggestive of attempts of trying to move upwards with the purpose of free themselves. The team indicated that it is very likely that these were made by scavenging insects, however, relatively large borings (about 3cm (30mm) wide) in the ribs and scapulae of one Protoceratops specimen (MPC-D100/534) indicates that insects were not the only scavengers involved in the bone damage, but also mammals. [54], Tomasz Jerzykiewiczz in 1993 reported several monospecific (containing only one dominant species) death assemblages of Protoceratops from the Bayan Mandahu and Djadokhta formations. Moreover, it lies on the floor with its feet directed to the prey's belly and throat areas, indicating that this Velociraptor was not scavenging. [63], In 2017 Mototaka Saneyoshi with team analyzed several Protoceratops specimens from the Djadokhta Formation, noting that from perinate/juvenile to subadult individuals, the parietal and squamosal bones increased their sides to posterior sides of the skull. The ischium was the longest bone of the pelvic girdle. Facts on the Protoceratops. Had a body mass of approximately 177 kg. The large frill that skirts the skull of Protoceratops dinosaurs was more likely used as a signal to prospective mates - rather than for defense or cooling their bodies, a new study has suggested. From subadult to adult individuals, the squamosal bone increased in size more than the parietal bone, and the frill expanded to a top direction. Protoceratops was a relatively small-sized ceratopsian, with both P. andrewsi and P. hellenikorhinus estimated up to 22.5m (6.68.2ft) in length,[41][42] and around 62104kg (137229lb) in body mass. Tena un tamao pequeo y un crneo grande. Because it is generally accepted that most fossil specimens at Tugriken Shireh were preserved by rapidly migrating dunes and sandstorms, Fastovsky with colleagues suggested that the lee side borders of the nest would have been the area where air was sand-free and consequently, all young Protoceratops may have struggled to reach this area, resulting in their final burial and eventual death. [67] In 2010 Alexander Kuznetsov and Tereshchenko analyzed several vertebrae series of Protoceratops in order to estimate overall mobility, and concluded that Protoceratops had greater lateral mobility in the presacral (pre-hip) vertebrae series and reduced vertical mobility in the cervical (neck) region. Protoceratops were hunted by Velociraptor, and one particularly famous specimen (the Fighting Dinosaurs) preserves a pair of them locked in combat. La scoperta, straordinaria, avviene nel 1971 nel deserto del Gobi, il pi immane scrigno di dinosauri della Terra, grazie alle ottime condizioni di conservazione e all'habitat ideale che ospita per 170 milioni di anni la specie pi longeva della storia del mondo (l'homo sapiens esiste da 30 mila anni, una vergogna a confronto). Protoceratops is a sheep-sized, herbivorous ceratopsian dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia. Protoceratops was discovered in 1922 . One Protoceratops Species was Named in Honor of a Real-Life Indiana Jones. Most individuals are preserved with their forelimbs splayed and hindlimbs are extended, an arrangement that suggests that young Protoceratops tried to push against the powerful airstream in the initially loose sand. Additionally, Longrich suggested that a backward burrowing could explain the preservation of some specimens pointing forward with curved tails. The habitat for a Protoceratops was originally thought to be swamps and forests. According these differences, four groups were identified, concluding that individual variation was extended to the vertebral column of Protoceratops. Other facies include alluvial (stream-deposited) and eolian (wind-deposited) sediments. The rear of the skull gave form to a pronounced neck frill (also known as "parietal frill") mostly composed of the parietal and squamosal bones. Juguemos Jurassic VR Dinos on Cardboard y disfrutemos el tiempo de diversin. The team also indicated that, while Protoceratops provides direct evidence for the formation of single cohort aggregations throughout its lifespan, it cannot be ruled out the possibility that some Protoceratops were solitary.
Dinosaur frills were likely the result of sexual selection During maturation, the skull and neck frill underwent rapid growth. ; Utkarsh Ambudkar as Orson: A humanoid supremacist Protoceratops with a bulging brain who wants to take control of the Lost World. By this time, Protoceratops had become one of the most abundant dinosaurs of the region with more than 100 specimens known, including skulls and skeletons of multiple individuals at different growth stages. The Velociraptor has its right leg pinned under the Protoceratops body with its left sickle claw oriented into the throat region.
Oviraptor | dinosaur genus | Britannica [37] However, although the initial perception was that the entire skin-like layer had been removed, photographs shared by Czepiski during the same year have revealed that the right side of the skull remains intact, retaining much of this layer and pending further analysis. This low-browsing method would have allowed to feed on foliage and fruits within range, and large basal ceratopsians may have consumed tougher seeds or plant material not available to smaller basal ceratopsians. [13], In 2016 Meguru Takeuchi and team reported numerous fossilized feeding traces preserved on skeletons of Protoceratops from the Bayn Dzak, Tugriken Shireh, and Udyn Sayr localities, and also from other dinosaurs. The tail was long and had an enigmatic sail-like structure, which may have been used for display, swimming, or metabolic reasons. [35], In 2010 Nick Longrich examined the relatively large orbital ratio and sclerotic ring of Protoceratops, which he suggested as evidence for a nocturnal lifestyle. The sacral vertebrae were firmly coosified giving form to the sacrum, which was connected to the inner sides of both ilia. Protoceratops is one of the most common dinosaurs from its habitat and region which, along with its size, has given it the nickname "Sheep of the Cretaceous". The team of the third expedition arrived in Beijing in 1921 for the final preparations and started working in the field in 1922.
Protoceratops - Prehistoric Wildlife The Velociraptor has its right hand trapped within the jaws of the Protoceratops and the left one grasping the Protoceratops skull. Since Protoceratops fossils are only found in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia and this specimen was likely discovered during the Central Asiatic Expeditions, the team concluded that this skull was probably acquired by the Delft University between 1940 and 1972 as part of a collection transfer. A concavity was present on its upper part, serving as the connection with the humerus and forming the elbow. [33][34][35], During the Third Central Asiatic Expedition in 1923, a nearly complete Protoceratops skeleton (specimen AMNH 6418) was collected at the Flaming Cliffs. In a top view they had a triangular shape and were joined by the frontals (bones of the skull roof). Such skull traits were regarded as marked [[Genetic variability Several isolated burrows found in sediments at this locality have also been reported penetrating in the bone surface of some buried Protoceratops individuals.
Wild Past Protoceratops with Nest - Dino Dad Reviews [126], Mayor in 2001 and 2011 defended the hypothesis of Protoceratops as an influence over the griffin by citing that some other Greek histories about mythological creatures may have had their origins at the hands of fossil findings made by ancient people. Whereas P. andrewsi is found in aeolian sediments (Bayn Dzak or Tugriken Shireh), P. hellenikorhinus is found in the aeolian-fluvial sediments.
Protoceratops | Dinopedia | Fandom Water dinosaurs who loved these places were the Hadrosaurus. Individuals within this assemblage were lying on their bellies with their heads facing upwards, side by side parallel-aligned, and inclined about 21 degrees from the horizontal plane. [58] You Hailu and Peter Dodson in 2004 suggested that the premaxillary teeth of Protoceratops may have been useful for selective cropping and feeding. Stumper. A group of five medium-sized and adult Protoceratops was observed at the Bayan Mandahu locality. This means they probably came out at regular times both day and night. The maxillary teeth of ceratopsians were usually packed into a dental battery that formed vertical shearing blades which probably chopped the leaves. [84] However, a subsequent study in 2021 found that Protoceratops had a greater capability of nocturnal vision than did Velociraptor.
Properly Breathing House by H&P Architects - Inhabitat The second point was explained on the basis of the already derived anatomy in protoceratopsids like Bagaceratops or Protoceratops (such as the jaw morphology). Lastly, he restored the course of the fight with the Protoceratops power-slamming the Velociraptor, which used its feet claws to damage the throat and belly regions and its hand claws to grasp the herbivore's head. A large and thick ridge ran along the lateral surface of the dentary that connected the coronoid processa bony projection that extends upwards from the upper surface of the lower jaw behind the tooth rowand surangular. He identified types A and B, both of them sharing the elongated shape. [113] In the Turgrugyin Member (mainly Tugriken Shireh locality), P. andrewsi shared its paleoenvironment with the bird Elsornis;[114] dromaeosaurids Mahakala and Velociraptor mongoliensis;[101][115] and ornithomimid Aepyornithomimus. Most fossils were in an excellent state of preservation with even sclerotic rings (delicate ocular bones) preserved in some specimens, quickly making Protoceratops one of the best-known dinosaurs from Asia.
Diabloceratops - Wikipedia [31], The Fighting Dinosaurs specimen preserves a Protoceratops (MPC-D 100/512) and Velociraptor (MPC-D 100/25) fossilized in combat and provides an important window regarding direct evidence of predator-prey behavior in non-avian dinosaurs. In the 2000s during the preparation of the specimen, a fossilized cast of a four-toed digitigrade footprint was found below the pelvic girdle. Their results found that herbivorous dinosaurs mainly followed two distinct modes of feeding, either processing food in the gutcharacterized by relatively gracile skulls and low bite forcesor the mouth, which was characterized by features associated with extensive processing such as high bite forces and robust jaw musculature. . In 1900 Henry Fairfield Osborn suggested that Central Asia may have been the center of origin of most animal species, including humans, which caught the attention of explorer and zoologist Roy Chapman Andrews. [121], In 2010 the paleontologists Yukihide Matsumoto and Mototaka Saneyoshi reported multiple borings and bite traces on joint areas of articulated Bagaceratops and Protoceratops specimens from the Tugriken Shireh locality of the Djadokhta Formation and Hermiin Tsav locality of the Barun Goyot Formation, respectively. The triceratops size compared to a human via Wikipedia. Most bones of Protoceratops preserve a large abundance of bone fibers (including Sharpey's fibres), which likely gave strength to the organ and enhanced its elasticity. [51][52] In most recent/modern phylogenetic analyses Protoceratops and Bagaceratops are commonly recovered as sister taxa, leaving the interpretations proposing direct relationships with more derived ceratopsians unsupported. The region of Mongolia and China, where many Protoceratops fossils are found, is rich in gold runoff from the neighboring mountains, lending some credence to the theory that these fossils were the basis of griffin myths.