Pronunciation: too-RAHN-o-SEH-ruh-tops
Meaning: Turan horn face
Author/s: Nesov et al. (1989)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Dzharakuduk, Uzbekistan
Discovery Chart Position: #343
Turanoceratops tardabilis
Two decades after its original discovery and with new remains to replace a braincase (CCGME 628/12457) that actually belonged to a sauropod dinosaur, a lump of "frill" (CCMGE 723/12457) that seems to be an ankylosaurian armour plate, and other remnants (CCMGE 717 and 718/12457) that were carelessly misplaced, Turanoceratops caused something of a ruckus between Hans-Dieter Sues in one corner and Andrew Farke in the other.
Sues recovered Turanoceratops as a member of ceratopsidae, the first definite ceratopsid known from Asia, one of only a small handful known from outside of North America and among the earliest known from anywhere, while Farke thought it was a neoceratopsian, closely related to ceratopsids but not a true ceratopsid per se. Handbags were thrown, analyses were questioned, and handbags were thrown again, but after the dust had settled we still didn't know whether Turanoceratops was a neoceratopsian or a shoo-in ceratopsid.
If the latter rings true, its discovery in Turonian deposits of Uzbekistan would call the often-assumed North American origin of ceratopsids into question, and it may be that Turanoceratops moseyed over from Asia via the Bering Land Bridge that opened around this time. That said, support of its assignment to ceratopsidae hinges on two unique-to-ceratopsid features; double rooted teeth and the presence of brow horns but, rumour has it, its teeth could belong to a hadrosaurid and its brow horn could be from its nose.
Sues recovered Turanoceratops as a member of ceratopsidae, the first definite ceratopsid known from Asia, one of only a small handful known from outside of North America and among the earliest known from anywhere, while Farke thought it was a neoceratopsian, closely related to ceratopsids but not a true ceratopsid per se. Handbags were thrown, analyses were questioned, and handbags were thrown again, but after the dust had settled we still didn't know whether Turanoceratops was a neoceratopsian or a shoo-in ceratopsid.
If the latter rings true, its discovery in Turonian deposits of Uzbekistan would call the often-assumed North American origin of ceratopsids into question, and it may be that Turanoceratops moseyed over from Asia via the Bering Land Bridge that opened around this time. That said, support of its assignment to ceratopsidae hinges on two unique-to-ceratopsid features; double rooted teeth and the presence of brow horns but, rumour has it, its teeth could belong to a hadrosaurid and its brow horn could be from its nose.
(Turan horn face)Etymology
Turanoceratops is derived from "Turan" (Persian name for the Turkistan region of Central Asia), and the Greek "ceras" (horn) and "ops" (face). The species epithet, tardabilis, literally means "that renders slow" in Latin. We have no idea what Nesov meant by this because his original paper is impossible to find. We initially supposed it was a reference to some feature of a slow cumbersome beast... but it was only 2 meters long.
Discovery
The remains of Turanoceratops were discovered in the Bissekty Formation, Dzharakuduk, Navoi Viloyat district, central Kyzylkum Desert, Uzbekistan.
The holotype (CCMGE 251/12457) is an incomplete left maxilla (tooth-bearing bone of the upper jaw).
