Saharanpur: A fossil believed to be of a Triceratops, the three-horned dinosaur, has been excavated along the banks of the Sahansara River in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, according to a researcher.

The excavation in the area revealed what experts believe could be the nasal horn of a Triceratops, dating back millions of years.

"A fresh fossil has been discovered, believed to be of a Triceratops... The fossil is a part of its nose. While we cannot definitively say that it belongs to a Triceratops, it closely resembles other Triceratops fossils found around the world. Its morphology, shape and size are very similar," said Mohammad Umar Saif, who is the founder of the Natural History and Conservation Centre here.

These dinosaurs were generally found during the Late Cretaceous period, 100.5 million years ago to 66 million years ago, he said.

The fossil, he said, is exceptionally well-preserved. 

"This is well-preserved as it has completely transformed into sandstone due to heavy mineralisation because it remained buried in the foothills of the Himalayas for approximately 35–40 million years. This is a good discovery," Saif said.

Several fossils, dating back millions of years, have been reportedly excavated from the area in recent years, drawing interest from researchers.

PTI