These are fairly primitive and generalized caenoceratopsians that are currently restricted to Asia (one species, the African megahorn Furciceratopoides africanus, lives in the African thorn-bush savannas), but include the giant extinct monocerotids of North America. All plateocerotians possess a well-developed nasal horn or series of nasal hornlets as well as parietal and epocciptial spikes on the frill. They have a fairly long, low-slung bodies and short, down-curved tails. Unusually, the hatchlings are born with one or two pairs of large fang-like premaxillary teeth which may be retained, reduced or lost in the adults.
Plateocerotia and Potamoceratopidae (see below) share a number of features, including enlarged teeth for the grinding of hard fodder, a small nose horn, and a number of biochemical similarities.
PLATEOCEROTIDAE
This Asian clade contains two living species that are characterized by a total lack of osteoderms and unusual crushing dentition. The nasal horn is large and unusually broad based. They are creatures of dense tropical forest and woodlands, using their powerful teeth to break open the fallen seeds and nuts of rainforest trees.
The dawnhorn is a 4 metre long caenoceratopian that dwells in the forests and woodlands of southern Asia. Males of this species have a curious, laterally flattened nose horn, which flushes bright yellow-orange during the mating season and has inspired this creature's common name. These ceratopsians root around on the forest floor, consuming fallen branches and fungi whilst browsing on low foliage in clearings and at the forest edge. Their specialty, however, is in the consumption of the tough fallen fruit of several kinds of rainforest tree.
The most remarkable feature of the dawnhorn is in the mouth. Pair of stout, triangular premaxillary teeth is present in the roof of the mouth while the cheek teeth are massive and robust. In short, the dentition of the dawnhorn has become a giant nutcracker and it is one of the few animals capable of tackling a fruit as intimidating as a zlatkonut.
The half-dozen or so species of zlatkopalm (Marjanophytaceae) are a relict group of unusual primitive angiosperms found only in tropical Asian lowlands. These remarkably ugly, foul-smelling and fast growing small trees or bushes produce immense fruiting bodies all year round. These so-called zlatkonuts are protected by an incredibly resilient spiny husk, superficially similar to a WWII naval contact mine. The dawnhorns eagerly snatch up these fruits when they fall to the ground or use their powerful beaks to violently rip them from low-growing species. Once in a dawnhorn's mouth, a powerful biting action brings its teeth to bear on the husk and the zlatkonut is soon noisily cracked open. The ceratopsian then feeds on the stuff inside, a slimy pulp, which contains the seeds of the zlatkopalm. These pass through the dinosaur's digestive tract to be deposited on the forest floor a few days later within a pile of beautiful, nutritious poo. The dawnhorn is thus a vital element in the reproduction of these plants, which is why the zlatkopalms do not grow in otherwise suitable habitats where these ceratopsians are absent.
The auryngo or sunhorn is a subspecies of dawnhorn that was at first mistaken for a species of its own by early specbiologists. The auryngo lives only in the Terai region (southern Nepal) while P. soloriens soloriens is more widespread, and can be found throughout mainland Southeast Asia. At least two more undescribed subspecies dwell on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo whilst an entirely new Plateoceros species has recently been discovered in southern India.
FURCICERATOPIDAE
The furciceratopids form the largest living group of ceratopsians, with perhaps a dozen species, ranging from small forest dwellers to the giant megahorns. Apart from one species, the abovementioned African megahorn, they all live in Asia. They have generalised dentition, a large narrow nasal horn or series of hornlets and prominent jugal spikes. Most have spiny or stud-like osteoderms set in their scaly hide. They tend to be unfussy feeders, eating any greenery they can easily get to.
Although nowhere near as nearsighted or red-green-blind as Home-Earths rhinos (similar-looking giant mammals), most of the larger species are known to be extremely bad-tempered. Even giant priscataurs will usually give an adult megahorn a wide berth. Smaller forms, on the other hand, can be extremely shy and cryptic.
Research suggests that the extracts of the megahorns' horns possess an extremely potent aphrodisiac quality and could form the basis of a highly lucrative pharmaceutical trade.
The African megahorn (Furciceratopoides africanus) can be found in all rain-green forests of Africa (except at the highest altitudes) where it munches on the undergrowth. Not quite as immense as its Indian relative, it is still an impressive sight.
Spec is plagued by cryptic ceratopsians! While the frill-tusker/till-cheek dinoceratopian debate rages on in South America, this strange little Indian dinosaur has gone virtually unnoticed. Known only by its scientific name Terramoloch spinifer, this enigmatic ceratopsian long frustrated specbiologists by refusing to fit in with any other ceratopsian clade. Many believed (and some still maintain) that T. spinifer is a Eurasian dinoceratopian, but with the aid of mitochondrial DNA studies, we have concluded that T. spinifer is, in fact, a close relative of the Indian megahorn.
To compare the massive Indian megahorn to the tiny Terramoloch – which measures less than two meters in total length – at first seems as ridiculous as comparing the little herbivore with the frill-tusker, but a number of physiological, as well as genetic features support this hypothesis. Firstly, the branching nasal horn is diagnostic of Furciceratopidae, the clade to which the megahorns belong. Also, the enlarged, curved jugal horns (once touted as links to the dinoceratopians) are present in many megahorns, including the Indian megahorn. Even the bizarre covering of spiny scutes, unique among ceratopsians, is present (though to a much lesser degree) in young megahorns.
The habits of T. spinifer are largely unknown, but this denizen of the high plateaus of India and Nepal seems to be a low-level browser, feeding mostly on roots and shrubs, p-Rhododendron being this species' food of preference. T. spinifer's mating and child-rearing behaviors are unknown.