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Marginocephalia

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Marginocephalia
Temporal range: Upper JurassicUpper Cretaceous
Skull of Triceratops
Fossil
Scientific classification
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(unranked):
Marginocephalia

Sereno, 1986
Infraorders

Ceratopsia
Pachycephalosauria

Marginocephalians (meaning "fringed heads") are a group of Ornithischian (bird-hipped) dinosaurs.

They can be briefly described as "herbivores which defend themselves with armoured heads". They are in two groups: the thick-skulled Pachycephalosauria and the horned Ceratopsia. They are all herbivores.

The Pachcephalosaurs had very thick skulls which (it is supposed) they used for defence. They developed in the mid-Jurassic, and are common in Cretaceous rocks.

The Ceratopsia had horns, and we know they used them on predators. Triceratops is the key example.

Some of their features are not so obvious: They have a unique palate (part of the mouth) and a short pubis (part of the hip).