Researchers have discovered that horned dinosaurs – the group that includes the famous Triceratops – lived in Europe during the Late Cretaceous period
Reconstruction of the possible appearance of Ajkaceratops kozmai. Original artwork by Matthew Dempsey.
Researchers have discovered the most compelling evidence yet that horned dinosaurs – the group that includes the famous Triceratops – lived in Europe during the Late Cretaceous period. The breakthrough research, published in Nature, reveals that several dinosaur species long believed to be relatives of Iguanodon were in fact early ceratopsians.
The international study, involving scientists from the Natural History Museum and universities across Europe, includes key contributions from Professor Richard Butler at the University of Birmingham. The findings confirm that Ajkaceratops, a species first described in 2010 but considered controversial due to fragmentary remains, is a true ceratopsian - and that it lived around 84 million years ago on the island archipelagos that once made up Cretaceous Europe.
Ceratopsian fossils are abundant in Asia and North America, yet have been almost completely absent from Europe. Until now, evidence on the continent consisted only of a handful of incomplete and debated specimens. The discovery of new, more complete fossils of Ajkaceratops prompted a fresh investigation using CT scanning and detailed evolutionary analysis.
These analyses revealed that:
This reclassification significantly reshapes the scientific understanding of Late Cretaceous ecosystems in Europe.
Because the first fossils discovered of Ajkaceratops were so incomplete, many scientists doubted it was a ceratopsian. What’s so exciting about the new fossil is that it allows us to confirm that horned dinosaurs roamed the islands of Cretaceous Europe but also challenges us to radically rethink our understanding of these ancient ecosystems
While Iguanodon and Triceratops look very different, the groups they are part of both evolved from a common ancestor, meaning they’ve both inherited certain characteristics. They also independently evolved four-leggedness, complex chewing mechanisms and a large body size. This means that their teeth and limbs look quite similar, both because of their shared history and way of life. So, when we only have small parts of the skeleton to look at, it can be quite difficult to tell what’s what.
Ceratopsians originated in Asia and migrated multiple times to North America. Their presence in Europe fills a critical gap in these dispersal routes, supporting the idea that dinosaurs could move between continents and island chains, even as the Atlantic Ocean began to open.
The research highlights the enduring scientific value of museum collections. By reassessing existing fossils with new technologies and comparative data, palaeontologists can reveal previously overlooked species and reconstruct more accurate evolutionary histories.
Professor of Palaeobiology
Richard is a vertebrate palaeontologist with expertise in the systematics, evolution and biogeography of late Palaeozoic to Mesozoic reptiles.
