Triceratops fossil map
Where fossils of Triceratops have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 66 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 66 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Horned & dome-headed dinosaurs |
|---|---|
| Lived | 83.6–66 million years ago (Campanian to Maastrichtian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Family | Ceratopsidae |
| Named by | Marsh 1889 |
| Fossil records | 166 occurrences at 136 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Canada |
| Rock formations | Lance, Hell Creek, Frenchman, Ojo Alamo, Laramie, Scollard |
About Triceratops
Triceratops ( try-SERR-ə-tops; lit. 'three-horned face') is a genus of chasmosaurine ceratopsian dinosaur that lived during the late Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous period, about 69 to 66 million years ago on the island continent of Laramidia, now forming western North America. It was one of the last-known non-avian dinosaurs and lived until the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event 66 million years ago. The name Triceratops, which means 'three-horned face', is derived from Ancient Greek trí- (τρί-), meaning 'three', kéras (κέρας), meaning 'horn', and ṓps (ὤψ), meaning 'face'.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Triceratops (revision 1376767985), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in.
