Microceratus gobiensis is a small bipedal species of ceratopsian that originated in the Cretaceous period, roughly 90 million years ago. Its binomial name means “small horn from the Gobi.” Remains were first found in the Gobi Desert by Dr. Anders Birger Bohlin in 1953, as a part of a Sino-Swedish paleontological expedition. The fossil was found in the Gansu province of China, in the Cretaceous-aged Ulansuhai Formation; since then, more remains have been found in the Minhe Formation, the Zhumabao Formation, and the Xīnmínbǎo Group. In many cases, the remains are fragmentary, with only teeth or pieces of jaws recovered. However, enough is known about the dinosaur to determine that it is one of the more primitive ceratopsians, but still more derived than the psittacosaurs.
The history of its name has been complicated. It was originally named “Microceratops” by Bohlin when it was discovered in 1953, and later in the same year Bohlin described a second species which he named M. sulcidens. At the time the genus was named, however, the name Microceratus had already been assigned one year prior to an ichneumon wasp found in Madagascar. The wasp was (and still is) poorly known, so the taxonomic blunder went unnoticed for decades. In 2008, the dinosaur’s genus name was changed by the Portuguese paleontologist Octávio Mateus: it has since been called Microceratus. The wasp, on the other hand, has also been reclassified as belonging to the genus Neopimpla in the tribe Phygadeuontini, leaving no animal species validly called “Microceratops.”
Many of the fossils assigned to Microceratus have since been reassigned. Many fossils of M. gobiensis are now known to belong to a different genus, Graciliceratops, which is a close relative of Microceratus. Potentially all remains of M. sulcidens may instead represent the genus Asiaceratops. If this is the case, then M. gobiensis is the only known species.
International Genetic Technologies successfully cloned this species in 1986 on Isla Sorna, making it among the very first organisms to become de-extinct. There is no evidence that there were concrete plans to introduce them to Jurassic Park at the time, but sometime between 2004 and 2015, they were introduced to Isla Nublar by InGen for Jurassic World. Interestingly, an InGen report dated December 7, 1996 lists this genus as Microceratus rather than Microceratops; this indicates that the animal’s genus name was corrected at least twelve years earlier than in real life.
Description
Microceratus is a small ceratopsian which lacks the horns of its later relatives, such as Triceratops, but does already have a bony frill on its skull. The animal weighs roughly 14 pounds and is about 2.5 feet long (slightly larger and significantly bulkier than fossil specimens). It is said to have been the smallest dinosaur in Jurassic World, smaller even than Compsognathus.
Its skull is bulky and large, and its mouth is powerfully beaked. The beak itself is toothless, but there are teeth farther back in the jaws, used for crushing up plant matter. Beaks of older InGen specimens are smaller, with shorter snouts and eyes placed farther forward. The head lacks horns but does have a pair of small epijugals, or cheek horns, one one either side; this feature would be seen in most of the later ceratopsians as well. The head frill is proportionally smaller than later ceratopsians and lacks any epoccipitals in addition to being devoid of horns. While the skull is sturdy and defensive, this dinosaur’s small size makes it vulnerable to most predators.
While it runs bipedally, it is capable of assuming a quadruped position, going down on all fours if it needs to. The feet have three toes each, while the hands have four short fingers. Its arms are roughly half the length of its legs, and its tail is about as long as its body. The tail is somewhat deep, counterbalancing the head, and the limbs are thin and wiry. This is an animal evolved for foraging on forest floors and grasslands, running at a decent speed, and relying on evasive movements to avoid being eaten.
Coloration in this animal is usually somewhat bright. The original specimens bred in 1986 were richly bluish in color, with some darker patterning and cream-colored countershading. Only its beak is lighter in color, appearing off-white. Some specimens have a brighter yellow-orange color with red highlights, which may indicate sexual dimorphism.
Newer versions bred by Masrani Global Corporation have highly variable color, but there are some consistent patterns. The base color is a light yellow, and the tail features darker brown striping. Across the body are brown or red streaks, with the back generally being redder or more purple than the lower parts of the body. The neck has a distinctive “collar” of light yellow, lacking any brown or red patterning. On the head, Microceratus has darker-colored stripes outlining the contours of its frill and beak; the frill is generally yellowish, but the lower part of the face often has red or pink shading, and certain individuals have teal patterning on parts of the head.
Growth
So far, growth stages of Microceratus remain unknown, though an image shown on the Jurassic World official website does show animals of slightly different sizes. Coloration does not appear to correlate with growth stages.
Sexual Dimorphism
Two colors are present in older versions of Microceratus, a rich blue and a vibrant red and yellow-orange. The blue animals are far more common. Between this, and the brighter colors on the reddish specimens, it seems likely that the more colorful ones are males. In the newer versions bred by Masrani Global, it has been suggested that the differences in coloration may also represent sexual dimorphism, with males having teal-colored patterns on the face, but this is not known for certain.
Habitat
Preferred Habitat
Based on images shown on the Jurassic World official website, Microceratus is suggested to live in grassy regions with trees nearby. It apparently was found in or near developed areas in Jurassic World, further suggesting that it prefers mostly-open areas with cover available.
Muertes Archipelago
InGen bred Microceratus on Isla Sorna sometime before May 2, 1986. As of June 11, 1993, they were not ready for exhibition in Jurassic Park.
At last count in 1993, InGen had 22 living Microceratus on Isla Sorna. It is unknown if this population survived, or what part of the island they inhabited. None were seen in areas visited by either the 1997 expedition or the people marooned in 2001. If any survived until 2004, they would have been transported to Isla Nublar. At the moment, Masrani Global Corporation claims that no de-extinct life remains on Isla Sorna or elsewhere in the Muertes Archipelago, but the Department of Prehistoric Wildlife acknowledges that this may not be true.
Jurassic Park: San Diego
While this dinosaur’s small size would have made it an ideal park attraction at Jurassic Park: San Diego, the park was abandoned in favor of the Isla Nublar locale in the 1980s. No Microceratus were ever introduced.
Isla Nublar
Sometime between 2004 and 2015, Microceratus was introduced to Jurassic World. If any were rescued from Isla Sorna in 2004-2005, they were contained in a quarantine paddock for a period of time before being introduced to habitats. They were known to inhabit the area near the Jungle River, where they could be visible from the Cretaceous Cruise attraction. Population statistics for this species are not currently known.
Based on storyboards, Microceratus may have lived in the Gentle Giants Petting Zoo even as adults. It is known to be able to roam around some tourist areas of Sector 3, due to signage warning visitors not to litter due to the harm this would present to the tiny dinosaurs.
Some populations survived during the three years that followed the 2015 Isla Nublar incident that closed Jurassic World. At least some of them inhabited the foothills near Mount Sibo; other populations may have existed at the Jurassic World golf course, which was reported to be a haven for smaller herbivores. According to the Dinosaur Protection Group, the population near Mount Sibo was exposed to dangerous levels of hydrogen fluoride from the volcano during 2017 and 2018. This, along with pulmonary exposure to ash coating plant life, threatened the continued existence of this species; they were among the most threatened animals based on DPG reports. Microceratus was still extant on Isla Nublar as of June 18, 2018; following the June 23 eruption of the volcano, it is most likely that any remaining Microceratus died off.
Mantah Corp Island
Between the early 2000s and mid-2010s, InGen’s noteworthy rival Mantah Corporation illegally acquired several species of de-extinct animal and cloned some of their own. These were bred at a testing facility on Mantah Corp Island, which the company eventually intended to develop into a clandestine attraction. While it would have been easy to steal a smaller dinosaur without InGen noticing, Microceratus would probably not have interested Mantah Corp, since the island facility was going to be used to stage fights between larger, more impressive dinosaurs.
BioSyn Genetics Sanctuary
De-extinct animals made their way into the wild en masse in June 2018, and in the following years, BioSyn Genetics was authorized by several governments to capture and contain various animals. While few sightings of Microceratus have yet been reported from the wild, this species does inhabit the BioSyn Genetics Sanctuary, located in BioSyn Valley, Italy.
No specimens were confirmed in the valley prior to mid-2022, after the United Nations took over administration of the valley from BioSyn. Microceratus may have been absent prior to this.
Black market
Poaching in the Muertes Archipelago continued from late 1997 until at least the mid-2010s. In June of 2018, a mercenary group led by Ken Wheatley harvested animals from Isla Nublar at the behest of Eli Mills, possibly including Microceratus. It is possible they were either sold, or released into the wild. DNA samples of this dinosaur have more likely entered the black market.
Regardless of what became of any Microceratus in 2018, they are now an established part of the international underground animal trade. These are common species to keep as pets, though this practice is highly discouraged since de-extinct animals’ needs are difficult to meet in the modern day. Numerous Microceratus are bought and sold in the Amber Clave, a night market that operates in Valletta, Malta. The destinations of many of these dinosaurs are unknown, as are their fates.
Wild populations
This dinosaur originally existed about 90 million years ago, evolving in central Asia during the Cretaceous period. It may have existed for only a short time, but the fossil record provides only snapshots of prehistory; it is also possible that this species had a longer term on Earth than has thus far been discovered. Nonetheless, it became extinct, and remained so until scientists in the late twentieth century used genetic engineering to restore it to life.
Little is known about the populations of this animal throughout the history of de-extinction. It is quite possible that some were brought to the mainland sometime by June 2018. At that point, the largest single de-extinct animal trafficking operation took place, moving numerous species to the Pacific Northwest; from here many entered the black market, but even more were released into the wild near Orick, California. Sightings of this little creature have been sparse, but this may not indicate a lack of population. It may simply be that it is too small for many people to take notice.
Behavior and Ecology
Activity Patterns
The daily activity patterns of Microceratus are poorly known, but storyboards portray some as being active during the daytime.
Diet and Feeding Behavior
This animal is a herbivore, feeding on leaves and twigs. They use their beaks to crop food. The small size of these animals means that they would mostly feed on plants close to the ground, which would be common in the grasslands and forests they seem to favor. In the fossil record, they are believed to have fed on ferns, cycads, and conifers. Specimens surviving on Isla Sorna after 1995 would have fed on the native soy and agama beans, as well as other lysine-rich plants, to combat the lysine contingency.
Based on warning signs in Jurassic World, they may be experimental feeders somewhat like goats, consuming unfamiliar items that may or may not be edible. This may lead them to eat unhealthy or harmful items.
Social Behavior
Microceratus is consistently portrayed living in moderate to large social groups, but any details about their social lives or herd hierarchy have yet to be described.
Reproduction
As a dinosaur, Microceratus would lay eggs to reproduce. Its more derived relative Triceratops is portrayed with a cloaca in Jurassic Park: The Game, so it can be hypothesized that Microceratus may have cloacae as well.
Most herbivorous dinosaurs lay rounded eggs, as opposed to the ovoid eggs of theropods. Due to its size, Microceratus probably lays very small eggs. A medium or average-sized dinosaur egg has an incubation period of three to six months, with size correlating to the length of incubation. Microceratus would fall on the far end of this scale, with an incubation period likely lasting a few weeks as in many small birds.
Communication
Currently, nothing is known about the vocalizations or other communication methods of this animal.
Ecological Interactions
Due to its small size and low aggression, Microceratus would remain near the bottom of the food chain, easily preyed upon by small carnivores. It is a known predator of low-growing plants and would keep the island’s undergrowth in check.
It seems to be comfortable among other herbivorous animals. Near the Jungle River, its neighbors would include Apatosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Parasaurolophus; it is unlikely that it would be allowed to interact with the carnivores along the river. Following the island’s abandonment, its habitat in the foothills of Mount Sibo was shared closely with Parasaurolophus and Pachycephalosaurus.
In prehistory, Microceratus was affected by hematophagous (blood-drinking) parasites such as mosquitoes. It is not known if similar modern parasites affect it.
Cultural Significance
Symbolism
This dinosaur is not commonly featured in art or culture because it is not extremely well-known.
In Captivity
Due to its small size, Microceratus is reasonably easy to keep in captivity. It is one of the safest de-extinct animals and is unlikely to cause problems as extreme as its larger relatives, and its cute appearance makes it appealing to park-goers. In Jurassic World, signage implies that it was allowed to safely roam in areas where they would interact with visitors, such as the Gentle Giants Petting Zoo; they were the only animals kept here as adults, while the other species were moved to larger enclosures once they matured.
While it appears to have been adaptable enough to live in more developed areas of the park, habitats farther out from Main Street were located in woodland and grassland, where this animal eventually lived in the wild. As a small creature, it does not compete with most of the other herbivorous dinosaurs known to have lived in the park, making it easy to keep alongside other species. However, caution would necessarily have to be taken to keep it safe from predators, not only other de-extinct life but also modern carnivorous animals. Its small size would also make it difficult to find in the event that its tracking implant failed.
It is essential to keep the Microceratus habitat clean and free of litter, as they appear to be experimental feeders and may accidentally consume food or other substances that could harm them.
Science
Paleontologists gain precious insight into ceratopsian evolution from Microceratus and its close relatives, which represent animals more advanced than Psittacosaurus but less so than Protoceratops. While most of the fossils originally assigned to this genus have since been reassigned, the holotype remains.
In the Genetic Age, this animal became a part of groundbreaking research conducted by InGen geneticists working under Dr. Henry Wu. Having brought it back from extinction decades prior, InGen performed experimentation in Jurassic World to demonstrate a kind of artificial evolution, projecting what the descendants of Microceratus might look like. The experiment showed the formation of a nasal horn and two brow horns, a similar arrangement to the more evolved Triceratops. While it is not known whether any of these variants were actually created (or, if they were, whether they survived), this kind of research advanced genetic engineering methods at InGen by leaps and bounds.
Politics
Microceratus has not been intensely politicized despite the cutting-edge genetic research it was involved in at Jurassic World, but its continued existence was up for debate in government halls during 2017 and 2018. Volcanic activity centered around Isla Nublar’s Mount Sibo threatened the ecosystem of the island, and with most of the Microceratus population living near the volcano, it was among the most threatened species according to the Dinosaur Protection Group. Other than being mentioned as a threatened species, Microceratus was not featured extensively in DPG material. It is unknown if any were removed from Isla Nublar before the eruption in mid-2018.
Resources
As with all de-extinct animals, Microceratus is a source of natural and/or artificial biopharmaceutical compounds as a result of its biology. These are notably different from those obtainable from natural species alive in modern ecosystems, but specific details are undisclosed at this time. Along with this, Microceratus is valued as a subject in genetic engineering experimentation as well as a valuable addition to InGen’s genetic library.
Before the fall of Jurassic World, this dinosaur was of minor importance as a tourist attraction. It did not draw the same crowds as its larger neighbors, but its small size, cute appearance, and easy housing requirements made it an effective addition to Jurassic World’s roster of species. Its position at the base of the food web would also make Microceratus an essential component of the artificial ecosystems created by de-extinction projects, though InGen probably did not use it for this purpose during Jurassic World’s operating years.
Safety
Microceratus is one of the smallest de-extinct animals brought to life so far, but caution should still be taken around it as with any animal. It is mostly docile and non-aggressive, but may react if provoked. Storyboards for Jurassic World show one leaping at a tourist’s face after the man taps on a glass pane between him and the dinosaur.
The main risk of interacting with this dinosaur is the beak, which is built for cropping plants but could easily break or sever a human digit. Avoid hand-feeding the animal and only give food if permitted by experts, and then only in designated feeding areas. The more it associates people with food, the more likely it is to bite a person (either on accident while eating or if it becomes agitated). If you need to handle a Microceratus, it is probably best to pick it up from behind, with its beak facing away from you. Treat it as you would a large herbivorous bird such as a parrot. In extreme cases, remember that it is lightweight and can be easily pushed away, and contrary to common belief it cannot climb trees.
