Spinops

spiny face

• spina · Latin · spine, thorn
• ops · Greek · face

Spinops combines the Latin "spina" (spine) with the Greek "ops" (face). It refers to the long spikes on the edge of the frill at the back of the skull of this horned dinosaur. The species name, sternbergorum, honours the Sternberg family of fossil collectors who found the original bones.

Named by

Farke et al.

Year named

2011

Period

Late Cretaceous

Stage

Campanian

Found in

Alberta, Canada

A centrosaurine ceratopsid (horned dinosaur); the only species is Spinops sternbergorum. The original bones were collected in 1916 but were not recognised as a new genus until decades later. I am less sure of the exact formation and locality, so I have given only the province.