Triceratops, one of the most recognizable dinosaurs, roamed western North America during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 68 to 66 million years ago. This massive, four-legged creature, known for its distinctive three horns and large bony frill, was a dominant herbivore of its time. Understanding what sustained such a large animal provides insights into its lifestyle and the ancient ecosystems it inhabited.
A Specialized Mouth for Chewing
The head of Triceratops featured adaptations for processing fibrous plant material. Its jaws were tipped with a deep, narrow, parrot-like beak, which was well-suited for grasping and plucking tough vegetation rather than biting. This strong beak allowed the dinosaur to snip and tear through sturdy plant matter.
Behind the beak, Triceratops possessed complex dental batteries for efficient plant consumption. Each side of its jaws contained 36 to 40 tooth columns, with three to five stacked teeth per column. This meant a single Triceratops could have between 432 and 800 teeth, though new teeth continuously replaced worn ones. These teeth were nestled tightly within the jaw, forming a robust, self-sharpening surface that functioned like giant shearing blades, grinding tough plant fibers in a vertical motion.
The Triceratops Menu
Given its specialized mouthparts, Triceratops was a strict herbivore, consuming large volumes of plant material to support its immense size, reaching up to 9 meters in length and weighing 5 to 10 tons. Its low-slung head suggests its primary food source was low-growing vegetation, though it may have used its horns and bulk to push over taller plants. This feeding posture indicates it was a browser, feeding on shrubs and bushes, rather than a grazer, as grasses had not yet evolved during the Late Cretaceous.
The diet of Triceratops included a variety of tough, fibrous plants. Specific types of flora consumed would have included ferns, cycads, and early palms. With the rise of angiosperms, or flowering plants, during the Cretaceous period, Triceratops also fed on species like poplars, pines, hazelnut shrubs, cypress trees, and sycamores. These diverse plant sources provided necessary nutrition.
Evidence of a Herbivorous Diet
Paleontologists have gathered scientific evidence to determine the diet of Triceratops. The most direct evidence comes from the dinosaur’s dental anatomy, including its powerful beak and shearing dental batteries. These structures are adapted for processing plant matter and lack features associated with meat consumption.
Further insights are gained from analyzing tooth wear patterns, known as microwear. Microscopic scratches and pits on fossilized teeth provide direct clues about the abrasiveness and texture of the food consumed, indicating that Triceratops regularly ground down tough, fibrous plant material. Fossilized dung, or coprolites, from related ceratopsians have shown fragments of plant material, confirming a diet rich in angiosperms and other vegetation. The presence of gastroliths, or stomach stones, found with some Triceratops fossils, also suggests these dinosaurs swallowed rocks to aid in grinding food within their digestive systems.