Centrosaurines Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 84–66 Ma |
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Centrosaurus nasicornus skeleton, Palaeontological Museum Munich | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Clade: | Dinosauria |
Order: | †Ornithischia |
Family: | †Ceratopsidae |
Subfamily: |
†Centrosaurinae Lambe, 1915 |
Type species | |
Centrosaurus apertus Lambe, 1904 |
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Subgroups | |
Synonyms | |
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Centrosaurinae (Greek: sharp pointed lizards) is a subfamily of ceratopsid dinosaurs, a group of large quadrupedal ornithiscians. Centrosaurinae was named by paleontologist Lawrence Lambe in 1915, with Centrosaurus as the type genus. The centrosaurines are further divided into three clades: the Nasutoceratopsini, the Centrosaurini, and the Pachyrhinosaurini. Centrosaurine fossil remains are known primarily from the northern region of Laramidia (modern day Alberta, Montana, and Alaska) but isolated taxa have been found in China and Utah as well. Defining features of centrosaurines include a large nasal horn, short supratemporal horns, and an ornamented frill projecting from the back of the skull. With the exception of Centrosaurus apertus, all adult centrosaurines have spike-like ornaments midway up the skull. Morphometric analysis shows that centrosaurines differ from other ceratopsian groups in skull, snout, and frill shapes. There is evidence to suggest that male centrosaurines had an extended period of adolescence and sexual ornamention did not appear until adulthood.
The below species were found to belong in Centrosaurinae by a 2014 publication (unless otherwise noted):
The cladogram presented here follows a 2012 phylogenetic analysis by Ryan, Evans & Shepherd. Clade names within Centrosaurinae follow Fiorillo & Tykoski (2012).