Dinosaur genus

Protoceratops

Granger and Gregory 1923

Protoceratops is a dinosaur genus known from bones, found in rocks 100.5–66 million years old, in Mongolia and China.

Also calledja プロトケラトプスzh 原角龍

medium

medium: Only Wikidata gives this; nothing contradicts it.

Confidence labels

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How sure are we?4 high7 medium4 lowHow we rate confidence

Confidence labels are switched off. Facts with low confidence, or where sources disagree, still carry a small dot: tap it for the reason.

At a glance

Data as of 12 October 2026

100.5–66 Ma

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114366

Solid: the ages of its dated fossils, 100.5–66 million years ago (Omnisaura's calculation). Pale: the published range, 121.4–72.2 million years ago, which also counts records Omnisaura leaves out.

The last non-bird dinosaurs died out 66 million years ago. That's as far from us as the end of this bar.

Named by: Granger and Gregory 1923
high
high: PBDB and Wikidata agree.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Described in: W. Granger, W. K. Gregory (1923). Protoceratops andrewsi, a pre-ceratopsian dinosaur from Mongolia, with an appendix on the structural relationships of the Protoceratops beds. American Museum Novitates 72: 1–9.
high
high: PBDB gives this publication for the name; its author and year match the naming authority (Granger and Gregory 1923), on which PBDB and Wikidata agree.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. The publication the Paleobiology Database gives as the authority for this genus name, usually the one that first named and described it.
Lived: Aptian to Campanian, 121.4–72.2 million years ago
disputed
low: Sources disagree and an editor has not ruled yet.
Omnisaura calculation100.5–66 million years ago, from its dated fossil records
medium
medium: Omnisaura's calculation from 32 confirmed PBDB records.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Fossils found in: Mongolia
high
high: NHM and PBDB both record it.
China
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (7 records).
mixed
mixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Union of all sources (ISO 3166).
Rock formations: Djadokhta
high
high: An Omnisaura editor ruled on it.
Baruungoyot
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (4 records).
Bayan Mandahu
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (5 records).
Miaogou
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Wulansuhai
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
mixed
mixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Omnisaura editorial; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Canonical names, automatic and editor-approved matches applied.
Family: Protoceratopsidae
disputed
low: Sources disagree and an editor has not ruled yet.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Parent group: Protoceratopsidae
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Order: Ornithischia
medium
medium: Only NHM gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Gap filled from NHM.
Known from: Bones
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database (what the name was based on).

Sources: Omnisaura editorial (Omnisaura editorial content (© Future Sailors, all rights reserved)), Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0), Natural History Museum Data Portal (CC0 1.0), Wikidata (CC0 1.0)Confidence levels and gaps are Omnisaura's own assessment.

Gaps are answers

What isn't known yet

Type species: no source we use gives it yet.
What it was named after: no source we use gives it yet.
Held back: 5 fossil records left out: identified only tentatively (for example "cf." or "?").
Resting on one source: 3 facts come from a single source with nothing against them (rated medium): parent group (PBDB); order (NHM); common names (Wikidata).

Size, diet and behaviour aren't covered yet. Omnisaura leaves them out rather than guess.

Where sources disagree

2 open

Family

ProtoceratopsidaePBDB (shown above)
CeratopsidaeNHM

The sources give different values. An editor hasn't ruled yet, so this is rated low until they do.

Age

121.4–72.2 MaPBDB
100.5–66 MaNHM specimens

The ages of the records reach well beyond the published range. An editor hasn't ruled yet, so this is rated low until they do.

Did it meet…?

Did Protoceratops meet ?

Same time, different places. Their fossils overlap in age, 83.6 to 66 million years ago, but no rock formation holds both.

Going by the ages and rock formations of their dated fossils, as on the map. Compare their fossil sites on the map.

Lived alongside

Genera found in the same rock formations, from rocks of the same age.

Pinacosaurus Velociraptor Bagaceratops Protoceratopsidovum Elongatoolithus Faveoloolithus Coralloidoolithus Dendroolithus Prismatoolithus Saichania Shuvuuia Spheroolithus Avimimus Byronosaurus Citipati Conchoraptorand 21 more

Same family

Other genera in Protoceratopsidae with a full profile.

Bagaceratops Breviceratops

Where its fossils were found

22 fossil sites, with present-day and ancient positions

Open the map at this time

Cite this page

Omnisaura (2026). Protoceratops. Future Sailors. https://www.omnisaura.com/genera/protoceratops. Data as of 12 October 2026.

What's changed

No changes since the change log started (11 Oct 2026).

Every change to Omnisaura

Use this data

Download this genus as JSON With every source and licence attached. Spotted a problem? Tell us

Pictures

8 openly licensed pictures of Protoceratops on Wikimedia Commons and museum sites, each with its own author and licence.

Carnegie Protoceratops andrewsi.jpg
Karen, CC BY 2.0
Protoceratops andrewsi Restoration.png
PaleoNeolitic, CC BY 4.0
NHM-UK_P_DF118_03_22_0515
The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, CC BY 4.0
NHM-UK_P_DF118_03_22_0517
The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, CC BY 4.0

The rest are listed in the JSON download.

Credits

Where this page comes from

Paleobiology DatabaseCC BY 4.0 · fossil records, ages, classification
Natural History Museum Data PortalCC0 1.0 · catalogued specimens
WikidataCC0 1.0 · names and identifiers
OmnisauraOmnisaura editorial · confidence levels and gaps
PaleoMAP PaleoCoastlines (Kocsis and Scotese 2021)CC BY 4.0 · ancient coastlines on the small map
Natural EarthPublic domain · today's coastlines

Pictures linked from this page are credited beside each one, with their own licences; the full list is in the JSON download.