Cranial Bones of 3 Horned Dinosaurs Found in Western Japan

February 4, 2018

Kobe, Hyogo Pref.- Cranial bones of three primitive horned dinosaurs have been found in a Lower Cretaceous stratum in Sasayama, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, the Museum of Nature and Human Activities said Saturday. Observing that the ages of the dinosaurs are different, the prefectural museum hopes that the bones can clarify the developmental process of the dinosaur species. In 2009, fossils discovered in the same layer were confirmed for the first time in the country as skull bones of a horned dinosaur believed to be neoceratops. This time, a total of 16 bone fossils were found, including upper and lower jaws and dentary bones and backbones 2 millimeters to 9 centimeters in length, the museum said. The unique lines on the tooth surface suggest the creatures are also neoceratops, from which popular triceratops originated, it said, adding the size difference between the bones indicates the dinosaurs were not the same age. Jiji Press