June 20, 2024

The Museum of Evolution is the first and only place in the world to showcase the skull of a newly discovered dinosaur species, Lokiceratops rangiformis. The naming and results of this extensive research are being announced today in the United States, highlighting the close collaboration between the Museum of Evolution in Denmark and some of the world's leading dinosaur research institutions, including The US Field Museum, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, University of Utah, Royal Ontario Museum in Canada, and the University of Bath in England.

A Brand-New Dinosaur Species

The new dinosaur, hailed as the world’s biggest paleontological discovery of 2024, has been named Lokiceratops rangiformis. The authentic fossils are exclusively on display at the Danish Museum of Evolution. Lokiceratops rangiformis lived over 78 million years ago in what is now the U.S. state of Montana, near the Canadian border.

A Nordic Name

Not only is this a new species, but it is also the first time a dinosaur has been named after a Norse god. The dinosaur's Nordic-inspired name, referencing the god Loki, was chosen because Denmark is the exclusive host of the exhibit. "Ceratops" means "horned face," a term familiar from the famous Triceratops. "Rangiformis" translates to "reindeer-like."

International Research Team

The international research team has published a groundbreaking report that not only highlights the fascinating new horned dinosaur Lokiceratops rangiformis but also challenges our understanding of the coexistence of horned dinosaurs.

Mark Loewen, professor at the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Utah and paleontologist at the Natural History Museum of Utah and the Museum of Evolution, explains:

"Previously, paleontologists believed that at most two species of horned dinosaurs could coexist in the same place and time. Astonishingly, we have identified four species that lived together simultaneously. The skull of Lokiceratops rangiformis differs significantly from the three other species it coexisted with. Its availability at the Museum of Evolution provides researchers with an unparalleled opportunity to study the species and draw new conclusions like never before."

A World-Class Dinosaur Museum

The Museum of Evolution, which opened in the summer of 2022, offers a unique, multi-sensory experience with lights, sounds, and scents that bring the prehistoric world to life in a modern way. The museum actively supports scientific research and houses authentic skeletons of many exceptional fossils from the Permian, Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Neogene periods.

Among the highlights of the collection are a spectacularly preserved Allosaurus, the world’s largest ceratopsian specimen, the best-preserved Torosaurus, the largest specimen of the North American stag moose (Cervalces), and the 8th specimen of the first bird, Archaeopteryx.