Popular Geology

You are here:///Diabloceratops

The Last Chance Ceratopsian and Diabloceratops

In 2002, Utah Geological Survey (UGS) paleontologist Don DeBlieux discovered a skull weathering out of sandstone near the middle of the Wahweap Formation in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah. Inspection and cleaning of the block revealed a nearly complete skull lying on its left side; part of the right side had eroded away, and most of the skull was still embedded in the rock. The discovery was near Last Chance Creek, so the specimen was dubbed the “Last Chance Ceratopsian.”

Using a gas-powered cutoff saw over several years, the sandstone block containing the skull was excavated and separated from the surrounding rock. Finally, in September 2005 the block was fully separated and transported by helicopter to a truck and driven to the UGS preparation lab in Salt Lake City. Over the next two years, DeBlieux spent more than 800 hours removing the rock from around the bone, which exposed a beautifully preserved skull with all the features needed to fully characterize and name a new dinosaur, Diabloceratops eatoni.

Top-down view of red rock with a side view of a skull outline.
Top-down view of red rock with a side view of a skull outline.
A man uses a saw on a rock block.
A man uses a saw on a rock block.
A scientist with headphones and mask excavating a block in a lab.
A scientist with headphones and mask excavating a block in a lab.
Dinosaur skull mostly excavated from a rock.
Dinosaur skull mostly excavated from a rock.
Top-down view of red rock with a side view of a skull outline.
Top-down view of red rock with a side view of a skull outline.
A man uses a saw on a rock block.
A man uses a saw on a rock block.
A scientist with headphones and mask excavating a block in a lab.
A scientist with headphones and mask excavating a block in a lab.
Dinosaur skull mostly excavated from a rock.
Dinosaur skull mostly excavated from a rock.
A large dinosaur skull with many spines.

Diabloceratops

A dinosaur with spines on its head in a swampy environment.

Diabloceratops eatoni was a horned dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous (101 to 66 million years ago). During this time, Utah had river plains and coal-forming swamps, flowering plants were greatly diversifying, and the eastern part of Utah was covered by an inland sea. The part of the Wahweap Formation where it was found is estimated to be about 82 million years old. Diabloceratops is part of the ceratopsid family of dinosaurs restricted to western North America that also includes the well-known Triceratops. The ceratopsians were quadrupedal plant-eating dinosaurs characterized by narrow beaks, large facial horns, and large, variously ornamented frills of bone extending off the back of their skulls.

Image: Artist reconstruction of Diabloceratops eatoni by Julius Csotonyi.

Learn More:

New basal centrosaurine ceratopsian skulls from the Wahweap Formation (Middle Campanian), Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Southern Utah, 2010

New Horned Dinosaurs from the Wahweap Formation Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, Southern Utah, 2007

The Quest for New Dinosaurs at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, 2001

A Significant Discovery

Diabloceratops is the oldest, and the first diagnosable, centrosaurine recovered south of Montana. Of all known centrosaurines, Diabloceratops is unusual in having a frill that narrows away from the skull toward the spines. With the many low spines along the sides of the frill, the Diabloceratops would have been impressive in life with 24 horn-covered spines of various sizes sticking out from the skull.

  1. The skull is about 4.5 ft long from the beak to the back of the frill.
  2. A pair of curved spines add another 1.5 ft to the total length.
  3. The front of the skull is short and deep, and is unique with two low horns above the nose.
  4. The large horns over the eyes are 10 in long and extend over the nasal horns.
  5. The cheeks have large blade-like spines extending laterally from its cheeks.
  6. The frill narrows away from the skull toward the spines.
  7. Along the sides of the frill are 24 horn-covered spines of various sizes.

These observations indicate that the Diabloceratops eatoni is the most primitive of all the known centrosaurines.

View Family Tree

Today, the skull is housed in the collections of the Natural History Museum of Utah and its cast is on display at the ceratopsian skull wall exhibit in the museum. A cast can also be found in the lobby of the Utah Department of Natural Resources building in Salt Lake City.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
An excavated and prepared dinosaur skull.
1

The skull is about 4.5 ft long from the beak to the back of the frill.

2

A pair of curved spines add another 1.5 ft to the total length.

3

The front of the skull is short and deep, and is unique with two low horns above the nose.

4

The large horns over the eyes are 10 in long and extend over the nasal horns.

5

The cheeks have large blade-like spines extending laterally from its cheeks.

6

The frill narrows away from the skull toward the spines.

7

Along the sides of the frill are 24 horn-covered spines of various sizes.

  1. The skull is about 4.5 ft long from the beak to the back of the frill.
  2. A pair of curved spines add another 1.5 ft to the total length.
  3. The front of the skull is short and deep, and is unique with two low horns above the nose.
  4. The large horns over the eyes are 10 in long and extend over the nasal horns.
  5. The cheeks have large blade-like spines extending laterally from its cheeks.
  6. The frill narrows away from the skull toward the spines.
  7. Along the sides of the frill are 24 horn-covered spines of various sizes.

Media Gallery

View videos and photos from the journey of the Last Chance skull.

A desert ridge with rock dust in the air from a man using a saw.
A desert ridge with rock dust in the air from a man using a saw.
A scientist stands over a white block on a desert ridge.
A scientist stands over a white block on a desert ridge.
A group of people putting a net around a rock block on a ridge.
A group of people putting a net around a rock block on a ridge.
A helicopter with a rope and net being carried.
A helicopter with a rope and net being carried.
A helicopter lowering a block in a net to a truck.
A helicopter lowering a block in a net to a truck.
A truck with a rock in the bed.
A truck with a rock in the bed.
Partially excavated dinosaur skull, 25% uncovered.
Partially excavated dinosaur skull, 25% uncovered.
Partially excavated dinosaur skull, 75% uncovered.
Partially excavated dinosaur skull, 75% uncovered.
Two people talking to a group of students about a dinosaur skull.
Two people talking to a group of students about a dinosaur skull.
A man standing behind a large horned dinosaur skull.
A man standing behind a large horned dinosaur skull.
Volunteer showing teachers and students a dinosaur bone
Volunteer showing teachers and students a dinosaur bone
A collection of horned dinosaur skulls mounted on a wall in an exhibit.
A collection of horned dinosaur skulls mounted on a wall in an exhibit.
A desert ridge with rock dust in the air from a man using a saw.
A desert ridge with rock dust in the air from a man using a saw.
A scientist stands over a white block on a desert ridge.
A scientist stands over a white block on a desert ridge.
A group of people putting a net around a rock block on a ridge.
A group of people putting a net around a rock block on a ridge.
A helicopter with a rope and net being carried.
A helicopter with a rope and net being carried.
A helicopter lowering a block in a net to a truck.
A helicopter lowering a block in a net to a truck.
A truck with a rock in the bed.
A truck with a rock in the bed.
Partially excavated dinosaur skull, 25% uncovered.
Partially excavated dinosaur skull, 25% uncovered.
Partially excavated dinosaur skull, 75% uncovered.
Partially excavated dinosaur skull, 75% uncovered.
Two people talking to a group of students about a dinosaur skull.
Two people talking to a group of students about a dinosaur skull.
A man standing behind a large horned dinosaur skull.
A man standing behind a large horned dinosaur skull.
Volunteer showing teachers and students a dinosaur bone
Volunteer showing teachers and students a dinosaur bone
A collection of horned dinosaur skulls mounted on a wall in an exhibit.
A collection of horned dinosaur skulls mounted on a wall in an exhibit.