Protoceratops The Hornless Frilled Ancestor 3D print model

Protoceratops was a small, robust ceratopsian dinosaur — a frilled but hornless ancestor to the later, more famous giants like Triceratops. Despite lacking the dramatic horns of its descendants, it boasted a large parrot-like beak and a bony neck frill, likely used for defense, display, and thermoregulation.

This dinosaur lived in arid, desert-like environments, moving in herds and feeding on low-lying plants like ferns and cycads. Fossil evidence shows that Protoceratops may have cared for its young and defended nests — hinting at social behavior.

One of the most iconic fossils ever discovered features a Protoceratops locked in battle with a Velociraptor, their skeletons frozen in time. This moment immortalized Protoceratops as more than just prey — but as a survivor and defender of its kind.