What distinct approach to cranial weaponry defines the chasmosaurine Triceratops compared to the centrosaurine Xenoceratops?

Triceratops emphasized enormous brow horns and possessed a simpler, often relatively smooth, shield-like frill that was typically thinner.

The comparison between Triceratops and Xenoceratops highlights the major divergence between the Chasmosaurinae and Centrosaurinae subfamilies. Triceratops, a chasmosaurine, is defined by having enormous brow horns and a frill that, while large, was generally thinner and less complexly ornamented than those of many centrosaurines, often appearing shield-like or relatively smooth. Xenoceratops inverted this emphasis; it had relatively smaller brow horns but a dramatically thickened, highly ornamented frill featuring the unique solid bosses. This comparison underscores the evolutionary path of chasmosaurines prioritizing massive frontal weaponization versus the centrosaurine trend toward complex frill modification.