Ajkaceratops was not a ceratopsian

Ajkaceratops was not a ceratopsian

Ajkaceratops kozmai from the Upper Cretaceous of Hungary was considered the most significant piece of evidence for the presence of Ceratopsia (horned dinosaurs) outside of Asia and North America. A closer inspection of the material has shown that the postulated similarities to this group are largely superficial. The bizarre anatomy of Aikaceratops makes it a peculiar ornithischian dinosaur with uncertain affinities. This is a further evidence of the importance and uniqueness of the European dinosaur faunas.
 
Figure: Life restoration of Ajkaceratops as an enigmatic ornithischian dinosaur (by Edyta Felcyn-Kowalska) and the described fossil material.

PUBLICATION: Czepiński Ł. & Madzia D. 2024. Osteology, phylogenetic affinities, and palaeobiogeographic significance of the bizarre ornithischian dinosaur Ajkaceratops kozmai from the Late Cretaceous European archipelago. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, zlae048. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae048.