Protoceratopsidae

Protoceratopsids Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 75–71 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Two protoceratopsids: Bagaceratops (top) and Protoceratops (bottom)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	†Ornithischia
Clade:	†Neornithischia
Clade:	†Ceratopsia
Clade:	†Coronosauria
Family:	†Protoceratopsidae Granger & Gregory, 1923
Type species
†Protoceratops andrewsi Granger & Gregory, 1923
Subgroups
†Ajkaceratops? †Bagaceratops †Bainoceratops? †Breviceratops †Protoceratops
Synonyms
Bagaceratopidae Alifanov, 2003 Bagaceratopsidae Alifanov, 2003 (Ősi et al., 2010) Protoceratopidae Granger & Gregory, 1923 (Tereschenko & Alifanov, 2003) Protoceratopsinae Granger & Gregory, 1923 Protoceratopoidea Granger & Gregory, 1923 (Tereschenko, 2007)

Protoceratopsidae is a family of basal (primitive) ceratopsians from the Late Cretaceous period. Although ceratopsians have been found all over the world, protoceratopsids are only definitively known from Cretaceous strata in Asia, with most specimens found in China and Mongolia. As ceratopsians, protoceratopsids were herbivorous, with constantly replacing tooth batteries made for slicing through plants and a hooked beak for grabbing them. Protoceratopsids were small ceratopsians around 1-2.5 m in length. Their bony frill and horns were much smaller than more derived members of Ceratopsia, such as ceratopsids.