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Re: _Avaceratops_



Justin S Tweet wrote:

Has anyone ever suggested that *Avaceratops* could be a junior synonym of
*Ceratops*?-*Thescelosaurus*

Me! It is also possible that the referred _Avaceratops_ skull (MOR 692) belongs to _Ceratops_, and not to _Avaceratops_.


However I think the type material of _Ceratops montanus_ (two postorbital horncores, occipital condyle) is too meagre (and non-diagnostic) to qualify as a valid type. The horncores of _Ceratops_ are a little weird (twisted outward) but the range of variation of horncores within ceratospid species is quite high anyway. _C. montanus_ is probably best regarded as a _nomen dubium_.

At one of the recent(-ish) SVP conferences, some new ceratopsid material from the Milk River locality was mentioned by Trexler as possibly belonging to _Ceratops_. I haven't heard anything since about this material (skull fragments including horns).


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