Triceratops Tooth

The Triceratops’ jaws came together to form a sharp curved beak. This feature was built not for biting, but for grasping and pulling at plants. Behind this beak sat the dinosaur’s teeth, which were arranged in a tight structure called a dental battery. This specimen is a fossil Triceratops tooth, which is over 66,000,000 years old.

These teeth batteries consisted of columns of teeth that would grow and erupt, replacing the worn and broken teeth at the top of the stack. While this was a somewhat common adaptation for herbivorous dinosaurs, the Triceratops’ teeth were nestled inside one another, meaning their teeth were constantly being replaced.