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Description
Protoceratops andrewsi

Mongolia is a hotspot in the world of paleontology. Countless fossils have been found in the region. From the famous Velociraptor to the bizarre Therizinosaurus, and the giant predatory mammal Andrewsarchus. However, one of the most iconic dinosaurs that originated from the region is the sheep sized ceratopsian Protoceratops andrewsi.

History and Discovery:
In 1922, the American Museum of Natural History sent out an expedition to the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. The expedition, led by explorer Roy Chapman Andrews was initially hoping to unearth early human or hominid fossils from the region. Ultimately, no human remains were found, however, they found something equally as incredible. Remains of dinosaurs, among them, a small ceratopsian. The following year, Walter Granger and W.K. Gregory described the remains and called it, Protoceratops andrewsi. The genus name derived from Greek, meaning “first horned face”. Whereas the species name in honor of the expedition leader, Roy Chapman Andrews.

Description:

Protoceratops was a small ceratopsian. Only around 6ft long and 2ft tall in terms of the dimensions, and around 150-180lbs around the size of some sheep breeds. Fitting, since some have dubbed this animal “the Sheep of Cretaceous Mongolia”. The skull was rather big compared to its body size as is the case with most ceratopsians. Tipped with a parrot-like beak and batteries of teeth that were used for processing vegetation. The animal lacks any horns on its head as well and the frill itself was rather simple compared to its more famous and derived relatives with two fenestrae (wholes) making up most of the frill.
Countless fossil skulls of this dinosaur have been found. This has allowed paleontologists to reconstruct how this animal matured in life. The frill was relatively small in juveniles and flattened almost parallel to the top of the skull, and as they matured, it grew bigger and curved upward. Furthermore, the epijugals (cheek bones) became more prominent and pointed as the grew as well.
No skin impressions of this dinosaur have been found. However, a lot of paleoart depicts Protoceratops with quill-like structures on its back and/or tail. While complete speculation for this species, this has been seen on its distant relative Psittacosaurus with quills that have been seen on its tail. Furthermore, an undescribed specimen of Triceratops shows larger nipple-like scales that could have been used to anchor quills as well. As previously stated, this is speculation, however, at the same time, it is not out of the realm of possibility that Protoceratops could have possessed them.

Evolution and Taxonomy:

In terms of where it falls in ceratopsian evolution, when it was first discovered, it was hailed as the long-sought ancestor of Triceratops. When it was first discovered that view was understandable, it was a small animal, had the same structure as more derived ceratopsians like Styracosaurus and Triceratops. With the benefit of more fossils being found in the following decades, some aspects of that view are accurate, while at the same time, it’s not.
Modern paleotaxonomy places Protoceratops as the type-genus of the family Protoceratopsidae. In total, around 5 genera have been named 4 from Asia and Mongolia and possibly a fifth from central Europe, Ajkaceratops, though its placement is rather dubious. In terms of where Protoceratopsidae falls on the family tree of ceratopsians, a 2019 study indicates that the family is the most basal of the parvorder coronosauria. This group is more derived than basal ceratopsians such as Aquilops, Yin Long and Psittacosaurus, and it is believed they evolved separately from more derived forms like Centrosaurus, Styracosaurus, and of course, Triceratops. So, while it is a basal member of coronosauria, it also has some derived features that set it apart from even more primitive ceratopsians.

Habitat:

Its habitat in the Djadochta Formation was like some parts of Mongolia today. An arid to semi-arid environment. Although, unlike the steppes of today, no grass would have been found here. Ferns, Cycad, and the occasional Conifer would have been present here. The former two flora groups would have been ideal food for Protoceratops and other herbivores.
Living alongside Protoceratops would have been a contemporary relative, Bagaceratops, a larger, but more basal ceratopsian, Udanoceratops. A handful of maniraptoran dinosaurs like the famous Velociraptor, a couple of Troodontids, and Oviraptorosaurs, and some hadrosaurids and Tyrannosaurs have been found in the region.
Compared to other dinosaur-bearing rock formations, very few rivers and wetlands were present in the region. Instead, the sediment was deposited by the wind. Furthermore, some smaller lakes would have been present in the region that would have grown and shrunk perhaps seasonally.
Most of the fossil material was usually found to be preserved in sandstone, and a lot of the fossils have been found to have been buried in-situ most likely as sand or dirt collapsed and preserved the dinosaurs almost perfectly. Many Protoceratops specimens have been found like this including a very famous specimen (which will be discussed later).

Reproduction and Behavior:

Around the time Protoceratops was discovered in 1923, the expedition discovered eggs alongside Oviraptor. Which lead paleontologists to believe that the animal stole the eggs from Protoceratops which gave it the name of egg thief. Its now known that the eggs belonged to the oviraptor and not the ceratopsian. However, in 2011, fossilized eggs and embryos of the Protoceratops were found, over 85 years after its discovery.
During the same year the fossilized eggs were found, a Polish museum dug into an unprepared specimen in its archives and found a footprint was preserved along with it. This is the first case in paleontology where a fossilized skeleton and its footprint were found together.

Behavior-wise, these animals primarily filled the niche of deer or, as they are called. As with most ceratopsians, they primarily would have been herbivorous, using their beak to clip off plant material and their strong jaws to chew the foliage. Moreover, compared to other ceratopsians they had larger eyes which suggest they could have been cathemeral. Meaning the animal is active whenever they needed food.
In terms of their group behavior, it is believed that Protoceratops lived in herds. Given the fact that at countless dig sites, paleontologists have found numerous specimens preserved together, it is not that much of a stretch to suggest that. Furthermore, the preserved eggs and embryos suggest that they cared for their young, probably for an extended period. The reason being is that in 2011, when the nest was discovered, 15 babies were found inside the nest and there was no way for them to leave the nest until their limbs were more developed. Thus, how would they get food? Simple, a parent brought food to them.

Famous Find:

Of all material and skeletons of Protoceratops that have been discovered, one stands above the rest. The "Fighting Dinosaurs" specimen. Unearthed in 1971 by a polish expedition, the fossil preserved both a Velociraptor and a Protoceratops locked in mortal combat for more than 72,000,000 years. While indirect evidence of dinosaur predation and combat have been found, this is basically a snapshot of prehistoric combat preserved for millions of years and it’s exquisitely preserved. Looking at the fossil, the Veloiciraptors’ right arm locked in the Protoceratops’ beak and the infamous killing claw of the raptor jammed in the throat of the ceratopsian. Early on, it was posited they died separately, though now a days, most paleontologists are of the consensus that they were buried simultaneously, likely by a sandstorm or a sand dune collapse. And this was likely due to a failed predation event in which both ended up losing.

Extinction:

The extinction of this dinosaur unknown. However, it was likely due to climate change. As its environment changed, these animals could not adapt to it. It is not known as to whether Protoceratopsidae persisted past 71,000,000 years, as no fossils from the family have been found past that point.

Protoceratops has a unique place in the dinosaur zeitgeist. Both from the history of its discovery and how it offers an insight into what these magnificent dinosaurs were like in how they grew, what their behavior was like and what predation they faced in the Djadochta Formation.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Been a while since I did a ceratopsian so here's one of my favorites, Protoceratops. Also, its one of my favorite profiles I did depicting a very iconic fossil. And I wanted to do this prior to artbyjrc did it in "Tale of a Fossil" Series.
In this shot, this scene is basically a depiction of if the "Fighting Dinosaurs" went the Velociraptors' way. Why do I say that? Let me explain:

Before I start, this is my opinion, what I think happened prior to the two dinosaurs getting buried. As discussed in my various raptor profiles, it is believed that raptors killed their victims by ambushing, pinning them down and then picking at them while they're still alive. However, if you look at Eagles (IE: The Golden Eagle) killing Deer, while they can't restrain them, they could have killed them by jumping on the back and letting the panic and fear widen the wound. They also flapped their wings to keep themselves stable on the backs of the animal, as seen with birds of prey who hunt large animals.
So what I think happened is that the Velociraptor tried to ambush the Protoceratops and tried to get on the back of the animal to start picking at the animal, however, the Protoceratops was alerted/or the Velociraptor was shaken off. The raptor tried to make another charge/leap onto the back, but the Protoceratops pinned it down and tried to immobilize the raptor. In an act of desperation, the Velociraptor tried to jab the claw into the throat to try and kill the Protoceratops. Ultimately, both their efforts were in vain, as both were either buried and/or suffocated by a sandstorm/sand dune collapse.

Will this be in PMP? Yes. Though that'll be in S2 which hasn't even started production. So, I can't really disclose many details yet.

The Protoceratops is by OkeanosSaviour with its skin modified by me:
Protoceratops (Okeanos) | ZT2 Download Library Wiki | Fandom

Velociraptor by Lgcfm and Ulquiorra:
Velociraptor (Lgcfm & Ulquiorra) | ZT2 Download Library Wiki | Fandom

Description
Protoceratops andrewsi

Mongolia is a hotspot in the world of paleontology. Countless fossils have been found in the region. From the famous Velociraptor to the bizarre Therizinosaurus, and the giant predatory mammal Andrewsarchus. However, one of the most iconic dinosaurs that originated from the region is the sheep sized ceratopsian Protoceratops andrewsi.

History and Discovery:
In 1922, the American Museum of Natural History sent out an expedition to the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. The expedition, led by explorer Roy Chapman Andrews was initially hoping to unearth early human or hominid fossils from the region. Ultimately, no human remains were found, however, they found something equally as incredible. Remains of dinosaurs, among them, a small ceratopsian. The following year, Walter Granger and W.K. Gregory described the remains and called it, Protoceratops andrewsi. The genus name derived from Greek, meaning “first horned face”. Whereas the species name in honor of the expedition leader, Roy Chapman Andrews.

Description:

Protoceratops was a small ceratopsian. Only around 6ft long and 2ft tall in terms of the dimensions, and around 150-180lbs around the size of some sheep breeds. Fitting, since some have dubbed this animal “the Sheep of Cretaceous Mongolia”. The skull was rather big compared to its body size as is the case with most ceratopsians. Tipped with a parrot-like beak and batteries of teeth that were used for processing vegetation. The animal lacks any horns on its head as well and the frill itself was rather simple compared to its more famous and derived relatives with two fenestrae (wholes) making up most of the frill.
Countless fossil skulls of this dinosaur have been found. This has allowed paleontologists to reconstruct how this animal matured in life. The frill was relatively small in juveniles and flattened almost parallel to the top of the skull, and as they matured, it grew bigger and curved upward. Furthermore, the epijugals (cheek bones) became more prominent and pointed as the grew as well.
No skin impressions of this dinosaur have been found. However, a lot of paleoart depicts Protoceratops with quill-like structures on its back and/or tail. While complete speculation for this species, this has been seen on its distant relative Psittacosaurus with quills that have been seen on its tail. Furthermore, an undescribed specimen of Triceratops shows larger nipple-like scales that could have been used to anchor quills as well. As previously stated, this is speculation, however, at the same time, it is not out of the realm of possibility that Protoceratops could have possessed them.

Evolution and Taxonomy:

In terms of where it falls in ceratopsian evolution, when it was first discovered, it was hailed as the long-sought ancestor of Triceratops. When it was first discovered that view was understandable, it was a small animal, had the same structure as more derived ceratopsians like Styracosaurus and Triceratops. With the benefit of more fossils being found in the following decades, some aspects of that view are accurate, while at the same time, it’s not.
Modern paleotaxonomy places Protoceratops as the type-genus of the family Protoceratopsidae. In total, around 5 genera have been named 4 from Asia and Mongolia and possibly a fifth from central Europe, Ajkaceratops, though its placement is rather dubious. In terms of where Protoceratopsidae falls on the family tree of ceratopsians, a 2019 study indicates that the family is the most basal of the parvorder coronosauria. This group is more derived than basal ceratopsians such as Aquilops, Yin Long and Psittacosaurus, and it is believed they evolved separately from more derived forms like Centrosaurus, Styracosaurus, and of course, Triceratops. So, while it is a basal member of coronosauria, it also has some derived features that set it apart from even more primitive ceratopsians.

Habitat:

Its habitat in the Djadochta Formation was like some parts of Mongolia today. An arid to semi-arid environment. Although, unlike the steppes of today, no grass would have been found here. Ferns, Cycad, and the occasional Conifer would have been present here. The former two flora groups would have been ideal food for Protoceratops and other herbivores.
Living alongside Protoceratops would have been a contemporary relative, Bagaceratops, a larger, but more basal ceratopsian, Udanoceratops. A handful of maniraptoran dinosaurs like the famous Velociraptor, a couple of Troodontids, and Oviraptorosaurs, and some hadrosaurids and Tyrannosaurs have been found in the region.
Compared to other dinosaur-bearing rock formations, very few rivers and wetlands were present in the region. Instead, the sediment was deposited by the wind. Furthermore, some smaller lakes would have been present in the region that would have grown and shrunk perhaps seasonally.
Most of the fossil material was usually found to be preserved in sandstone, and a lot of the fossils have been found to have been buried in-situ most likely as sand or dirt collapsed and preserved the dinosaurs almost perfectly. Many Protoceratops specimens have been found like this including a very famous specimen (which will be discussed later).

Reproduction and Behavior:

Around the time Protoceratops was discovered in 1923, the expedition discovered eggs alongside Oviraptor. Which lead paleontologists to believe that the animal stole the eggs from Protoceratops which gave it the name of egg thief. Its now known that the eggs belonged to the oviraptor and not the ceratopsian. However, in 2011, fossilized eggs and embryos of the Protoceratops were found, over 85 years after its discovery.
During the same year the fossilized eggs were found, a Polish museum dug into an unprepared specimen in its archives and found a footprint was preserved along with it. This is the first case in paleontology where a fossilized skeleton and its footprint were found together.

Behavior-wise, these animals primarily filled the niche of deer or, as they are called. As with most ceratopsians, they primarily would have been herbivorous, using their beak to clip off plant material and their strong jaws to chew the foliage. Moreover, compared to other ceratopsians they had larger eyes which suggest they could have been cathemeral. Meaning the animal is active whenever they needed food.
In terms of their group behavior, it is believed that Protoceratops lived in herds. Given the fact that at countless dig sites, paleontologists have found numerous specimens preserved together, it is not that much of a stretch to suggest that. Furthermore, the preserved eggs and embryos suggest that they cared for their young, probably for an extended period. The reason being is that in 2011, when the nest was discovered, 15 babies were found inside the nest and there was no way for them to leave the nest until their limbs were more developed. Thus, how would they get food? Simple, a parent brought food to them.

Famous Find:

Of all material and skeletons of Protoceratops that have been discovered, one stands above the rest. The "Fighting Dinosaurs" specimen. Unearthed in 1971 by a polish expedition, the fossil preserved both a Velociraptor and a Protoceratops locked in mortal combat for more than 72,000,000 years. While indirect evidence of dinosaur predation and combat have been found, this is basically a snapshot of prehistoric combat preserved for millions of years and it’s exquisitely preserved. Looking at the fossil, the Veloiciraptors’ right arm locked in the Protoceratops’ beak and the infamous killing claw of the raptor jammed in the throat of the ceratopsian. Early on, it was posited they died separately, though now a days, most paleontologists are of the consensus that they were buried simultaneously, likely by a sandstorm or a sand dune collapse. And this was likely due to a failed predation event in which both ended up losing.

Extinction:

The extinction of this dinosaur unknown. However, it was likely due to climate change. As its environment changed, these animals could not adapt to it. It is not known as to whether Protoceratopsidae persisted past 71,000,000 years, as no fossils from the family have been found past that point.

Protoceratops has a unique place in the dinosaur zeitgeist. Both from the history of its discovery and how it offers an insight into what these magnificent dinosaurs were like in how they grew, what their behavior was like and what predation they faced in the Djadochta Formation.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Been a while since I did a ceratopsian so here's one of my favorites, Protoceratops. Also, its one of my favorite profiles I did depicting a very iconic fossil. And I wanted to do this prior to artbyjrc did it in "Tale of a Fossil" Series.
In this shot, this scene is basically a depiction of if the "Fighting Dinosaurs" went the Velociraptors' way. Why do I say that? Let me explain:

Before I start, this is my opinion, what I think happened prior to the two dinosaurs getting buried. As discussed in my various raptor profiles, it is believed that raptors killed their victims by ambushing, pinning them down and then picking at them while they're still alive. However, if you look at Eagles (IE: The Golden Eagle) killing Deer, while they can't restrain them, they could have killed them by jumping on the back and letting the panic and fear widen the wound. They also flapped their wings to keep themselves stable on the backs of the animal, as seen with birds of prey who hunt large animals.
So what I think happened is that the Velociraptor tried to ambush the Protoceratops and tried to get on the back of the animal to start picking at the animal, however, the Protoceratops was alerted/or the Velociraptor was shaken off. The raptor tried to make another charge/leap onto the back, but the Protoceratops pinned it down and tried to immobilize the raptor. In an act of desperation, the Velociraptor tried to jab the claw into the throat to try and kill the Protoceratops. Ultimately, both their efforts were in vain, as both were either buried and/or suffocated by a sandstorm/sand dune collapse.

Will this be in PMP? Yes. Though that'll be in S2 which hasn't even started production. So, I can't really disclose many details yet.

The Protoceratops is by OkeanosSaviour with its skin modified by me:
Protoceratops (Okeanos) | ZT2 Download Library Wiki | Fandom

Velociraptor by Lgcfm and Ulquiorra:
Velociraptor (Lgcfm & Ulquiorra) | ZT2 Download Library Wiki | Fandom