A pair of dinosaur species discovered in Utah rank among the horniest beasts ever to walk the Earth, researchers say. One, Kosmoceratops, had 15 full-sized horns on its head, which was roughly 6.5 feet long. Researchers believe the impressive display helped the dinosaur compete for mates, much like peacock feathers or deer antlers, the Guardian reports.
The other species, Utahceratops, had fewer horns but its skull was over 7 feet long. Both species, ancestors of Triceratops, "are basically oversized rhinos with a whole lot more horns on their heads," explains a researcher. "They had huge heads relative to their body size." The bones were found in southern Utah at the tip of what was once a long island called Laramidia. Researchers expect the region to yield many more new finds.
(More Kosmoceratops stories.)