Darren Naish is a science writer, technical editor and palaeozoologist (affiliated with the University of Portsmouth, UK) who mostly works on Cretaceous dinosaurs and pterosaurs. He also studies such things as the 
A little while ago - that is, during Ceratopsian Week - I discussed NMC 8538, the excellent articulated Anchiceratops ornatus specimen today displayed at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa. Alas, while photos of the panel-mounted specimen were published by Lull (1933) and also by David Norman in his The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs, they're small and I don't have access to hi-res versions. Well, today we owe a substantial debt of gratitude to ReBecca Hunt-Foster of Dinochick Blogs for - ta-dah! - heeeeeeere's NMC 8538....
As mentioned before, the specimen shows that Anchiceratops had particularly robust limbs and a very short tail. It also shows strongly back-swept ribs (that is, the ribs are in their correct, natural position), and a neck that is surprisingly long compared to what you might expect for a ceratopsian. Remember that the skull does not belong to NMC 8538. Here's the specimen again, this time with a pesky styracosaur (specifically, the Styracosaurus albertensis specimen NMC 344 - - with its over-long, reconstructed nasal horn) poking into shot...
Many thanks again to ReBecca. Did I mention how awesome her blog is? Oh look: Aetogate. Oh, and here.. and here... and here. Hmm.
Ref - -
Lull, R. S. 1933. A revision of the Ceratopsia or horned dinosaurs. Memoirs of the Peabody Museum of Natural History 3, 1-175.
Comments
That's an original specimen? Beautiful! Has there been a full description of the postcrania of Anchiceratops yet? If so, somebody needs to get on that. I'd humbly volunteer, but I'm a bit far away... :-)
Posted by: Zach Miller | May 6, 2009 6:03 PM
Thanks Darren. You are too sweet. I am always glad to help when I can.
Zach: It is being worked on by Jordan Mallon at the University of Calgary. I can't wait for his paper! I would have to check but I believe his abstract for the Ceratopsid Symposium talked about it as well. Let me know if you do not have a copy of it.
Posted by: ReBecca | May 6, 2009 6:52 PM
I do not! I didn't even realize those abstracts were published!
Posted by: Zach Miller | May 6, 2009 7:10 PM
Darren - you never answered my question as to why this specimen is assignable to Anchiceratops when it lacks a skull. Isn't it just Chasmosaurinae indet.? Or are there postcranial characters that diagnose Anchiceratops?
Posted by: 220mya | May 6, 2009 7:54 PM
Jordan addresses this issue in a paper in the upcoming Ceratopsian Symposium volume. . .the answer probably won't surprise you!
Posted by: Andy | May 6, 2009 8:31 PM
Hi all, thanks for comments. Randy wrote...
I did - you must have overlooked it. Go here.
Posted by: Darren Naish | May 7, 2009 4:11 AM
Nifty.
Are those ribs touching? It might be a little more humpbacked than the post=e given.
Posted by: Monado | May 8, 2009 9:52 PM
Whoa, look at that neck!
Posted by: John Conway | May 9, 2009 11:22 AM