Styracosaurus ("spiked lizard") was a dinosaur that lived in the Cretaceous Period about 75 million years ago. It had a single horn on its snout and at least eight horns on its neck frill. It was related to the later Triceratops and more closely to Pachyrhinosaurus. It appeared in Disney's 2000 animated feature film Dinosaur and its corresponding ride DINOSAUR.
Forrest Woodbush is a Styracosaurus who appears in the film. Oddly enough, however, he has the brow horns of a Triceratops, as well as the nasal horn of a Styracosaurus.
Styracosaurus appears in the ride DINOSAUR at Disney's Animal Kingdom, where it is the first dinosaur encountered. The Styracosaurus also appears as the mascot of the Dino Institute, as well as on its logo.
While the ride was called "Countdown to Extinction", a model of Styracosaurus was shown on the exterior. This statue of the Styracosaurus would, however, be relocated in favor of a statue of Aladar the Iguanodon to tie in with the film.
Styracosaurus appeared along the rivers of the Virtual Jungle Cruise in DisneyQuest.
Trivia[]
In the original story for Dinosaur conceived and pitched by Phil Tippett and Paul Verhoeven in 1988, the main protagonist would have been a Styracosaurus named Woot.
Styracosaurus is Imagineer Joe Rohde's favorite dinosaur species, and this was the primary reason for its selection as the Dino Institute mascot and fountain statue before "Countdown to Extinction"'s rebranding to Dinosaur.[1]
Despite being shown alongside Pachyrhinosaurus in Disney's Dinosaur, Styracosaurus lived a few million years earlier than Pachyrhinosaurus and may be its ancestor.
A specimen of Styracosaurus discovered in 2015 with seven horns on its frill instead of eight (three on one side and four on the other) suggests that individual Styracosaurus were unique in appearance. This could also indicate that some new ceratopsians, such as the closely related Rubeosaurus, could be Styracosaurus that were born with more or fewer horns on their frills per individual.
Styracosaurus is one of the best known of the ceratopsians and is a member of the Centrosaurinae, a subfamily of ceratopsians defined by large nose horns and bosses as well as short frills.
Gallery[]
The carcass of Styracosaurus in the early concept art design for DINOSAUR
A Styracosaurus in DINOSAUR; this photo is used for the Disney World app
Styracosaurus in the DINOSAUR ride
Styracosaurus exterior in the DINOSAUR ride
Styracosaurus concept art by Ricardo Delgado
Early original concept art for Dinosaur by Mark Hallett
Early original storyboards for Dinosaur in 1991 by Pete Von Sholly
