Terrible Lizards

S12DB12 What colour were triceratops horns?

June 3, 2026·12 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Were dinosaur horns brightly coloured? And is there really such a thing as a "top predator"? In this extract of a Terrible Lizards bonus we recorded last year, we tackle two surprisingly big dinosaur questions from our listeners. First: what colour were dinosaur horns and frills? Could horned dinosaurs like Triceratops and other ceratopsians have had vivid displays like modern birds? We explore colourful toucans, puffins, flamingos, and even vultures that deliberately dye themselves red to ask whether dinosaurs may have been much brighter and stranger than we usually imagine. Then an argument with sharp teeth: is T. rex really a "top predator"? If killer whales sometimes hunt great white sharks, are sharks apex predators? Is the whole idea of a "top predator" actually misleading? Support the podcast, ask questions and get all the full bonus episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/terriblelizards You can watch this episode on patreon or on youtube here: https://youtu.be/EVSC9hQckrI

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