Prenocephale

Say it like this: “PREE-no-SEF-a-lee”

Prenocephale prenes

Prenocephale ate plants and walked on two legs. It lived in the Late Cretaceous. Bones have been found in Mongolia.

Quiz me on Prenocephale

When: Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) · roughly 72.2 to 66 million years ago
Named in: 1974 · Maryańska, T.; Osmólska, H.
Hip height: Not established
Length: 2.4 m · 8 ft
Weight: Not established
Found in: Mongolia · Nemegt
Food and walking: Herbivore · Two legs
Kind: dome-headed dinosaur · Pachycephalosaur
Family branch: Pachycephalosaurinae

The story in short

Prenocephale was formally named in 1974 by T. Maryańska and H. Osmólska.

Fossils referred to Prenocephale date to the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian), roughly 72.2 to 66 million years ago. Finds come from Mongolia, including the Nemegt Formation. It was a herbivore and walked on two legs.

Published estimates put Prenocephale at a length near 2.4 m.

On the family tree it sits in Pachycephalosaurinae, among the dome-headed dinosaurs.

Close relatives

Acrotholus

Acrotholus audeti

Late Cretaceous (Santonian) · roughly 85.7 to 83.6 million years ago

Alaskacephale

Alaskacephale gangloffi

Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) · roughly 72.2 to 66 million years ago

Brontotholus

Brontotholus harmoni

Late Cretaceous (Campanian) · roughly 83.6 to 72.2 million years ago