The Triceratops is considered to be one of the most spectacular dinosaurs to ever walk the Earth with their majestic horns and massive, hulking bodies. These horned dinosaurs also thrived during the Cretaceous Period which was the during the end of the dino era.

However, a new fossil reveals one of the oldest and earliest species of the horned herbivores which suggests that these are the forerunners of these unique creatures, appearing to be slightly modest than their later counterparts.

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Scientists revealed this discovery Wednesday where the remains of a partial skull and part of a hind leg, were uncovered from the Gobi desert in the western region of Xinjiang, China. The fossil appeared to be the size of a medium sized dog which scientists dubbed it as the Hualianceratops, that is estimated to have lived some 160 million years ago during the late Jurassic period.

This Triceratops ancestor measures about three feet long and is much smaller than the later members of the species which are formally known as ceratopsians. The modern Triceratops measures more than 30 feet long, and lived alongside with the Tyrannosaurus rex in the region now known as North America some 67 million years ago.

The Hualianceratops means "ornamental face" even if it did not possess any horns and surprisingly walked on two legs, which is a completely different primordial version from the later, bigger ceratopsians. This Hualianceratops also has a very large, triangle shaped head and smaller neck frill and also had a beak to feed effectively on crops and vegetation.

According to paleontologist Catherine Forster from George Washington University, this early Triceratops will appear odd since it has a relatively large head and runs around on its hind legs. Today, it is not common to see animals walking on two feet but during the age of dinosaurs, it was all very common.

These ceratopsians did not instantly become quadrupedal and not even had their trademark horns, not until after tens of millions of years later.

Apart from the Hualianceratops, another ceratopsian lived in the region during the same time known as Yinlong which was the earliest ceratopsian until this discovery. Forster describes the Hualianceratops as a chunkier version of Yinlong, which has a heavier built.

This new discovery along with Yinlong reveals the diversity of earlier ceratopsians that waere previously unknown where they used to exist with herbivorous and carnivorous dinosaurs and other reptiles like turtles, crocodilians and primitive mammals.

This new study is published in the journal PLOS ONE. 

Tagstriceratops, earliest triceratops, new species triceratops, ceratopsians, Hualianceratops, Gobi Desert, Dinosaurs, Cretaceous period, early jurassic period, triceratops ancestor