**Albertaceratops: The Alberta Horned Dinosaur**
Albertaceratops is a type of dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, around 77.5 million years ago. This dinosaur roamed what is now Alberta, Canada. Its name means “Alberta horned face,” which reflects its characteristic features.
**Physical Description**
Albertaceratops had some interesting physical traits. It was a horned dinosaur with long brow horns, which were unusual for its family. Most members of its family, called centrosaurines, had shorter horns.
In addition to its horns, Albertaceratops also had a bony ridge on its nose and two large hooks on the back of its head, called a frill. This dinosaur was quite large, estimated to reach about 5.8 meters (or 19 feet) long and weigh around 3,500 kilograms (or 7,700 pounds).
**Discovery and Naming**
Albertaceratops is known from just one complete skull that was discovered in August 2001. It was named by a paleontologist named Michael J. Ryan. The specific name, Albertaceratops nesmoi, honors a rancher named Cecil Nesmo, who helped fossil hunters in Alberta.
**Classification**
Albertaceratops belongs to the group of dinosaurs called ceratopsids, which are known for their distinctive features like horns and frills. Within this family, it is classified in the centrosaurine subfamily.
**Other Information**
There was some confusion with another dinosaur called Medusaceratops, which also lived in the same time frame. However, after careful study, scientists recognized that the fossils from Montana were not from Albertaceratops but from Medusaceratops instead.
Albertaceratops shows how diverse and interesting horned dinosaurs were, with its unique features setting it apart from its relatives.