Protoceratops Frills??

[Kayakasaurus]

With my Protoceratops nearing completion, and well beyond the design phase, I've still been baffled at how many different frill shapes are featured in, not only restorations, but actuall skulls. I went back to check Wikipedia, which states:

"The exact size and shape of the neck frill varied by individual; some specimens had short, compact frills, while others had frills nearly half the length of the skull"

So I made an image showing the four types I see the most. So there are theories attributing this to sex and age etc. but I haven't seen anyone try to categorize them like this, there seems to me to be at least four distinct shapes. Trying to divide frill shapes between Andrewsi and Hellenikorhinus, doesn't seem to help.

My Full size Proto looks a lot different than Bladeofthemoon's, because they're based on different skulls, but how would I refer to that distinction?

[Dinoguy2]

This might help: https://www.theguardian.com/science/lost-worlds/2016/jan/13/protoceratops-crest-sexual-social-displays-new-study

The frill starts out smaller and more rounded, then gets wider and flatter with age, eventually turning slightly concave with a little dent in the middle. Generally for an adult, the blue version in your pic is the most accurate. All skulls I've seen that aren't warped or broken look like that from the front. They'd be narrower and shorter in younger individuals though.

The purple version in the lower right of your pic, with the double triangle shape, seems to be a misinterpretation based on perspective. That's how it looks if you look at it from the top, because it's sort of "folded" backward along the middle spar of bone. Here's the view from P. hellenicorhunus, and note the double nose crest (not really a horn).



Here's another view on P. hellenicorhinus:

[Kayakasaurus]

Thank you. Yes these are drawn from a forward looking down angle, and the pink one shows it coming to a unique shape at the back, it seems different from the flat, round in the back, blue one.

What do you think of the frill on this model? Would this be a juvenile only shape?

[Dinoguy2]

Thank you. Yes these are drawn from a forward looking down angle, and the pink one shows it coming to a unique shape at the back, it seems different from the flat, round in the back, blue one.

What do you think of the frill on this model? Would this be a juvenile only shape?

Yes, that model looks like it's based on a juvenile. Narrow and rounded.