In which geological formation and stage is Xenoceratops firmly placed, establishing its age?
Answer
Milk River Formation, Campanian stage
The geological context provided for Xenoceratops places it definitively within the Milk River Formation, which is situated in Alberta, Canada. Chronologically, this location corresponds to the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous period. Being dated within this specific formation and stage is what allows paleontologists to assert its age as approximately 78 million years old, making it the oldest known definitive ceratopsid specimen in North America and providing an early anchor point for the Ceratopsidae family's presence on the continent.
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