They first appeared during the late Maastrichtian stage of the late Cretaceous period, about 68 million years ago.
Triceratops is a genus of herbivorous ceratopsid dinosaur that first appeared during the late Maastrichtian stage of the late Cretaceous period, about 68 million years ago (Mya) in what is now North America. Individual Triceratops are estimated to have reached about 7.9 to 9.0 m (26.0–29.5 ft) in length, 2.9 to 3.0 m (9.5 to 9.8 ft) in height, and 6.1–12.0 tonnes (13,000–26,000 lb) in weight. The most distinctive feature is their large skull, among the largest of all land animals. Triceratops lived during the Late Cretaceous of North America, its fossils have come from the Hell Creek Formation. The Hell Creek Formation is from the time of the Cretaceous-Paleogene Extinction Event, and has been dated to 66 ± 0.07 million years ago. Individual Triceratops are estimated to have reached about 7.9 to 9.0 m (26.0–29.5 ft) in length, 2.9 to 3.0 m (9.5 to 9.8 ft) in height, and 6.1–12.0 tonnes (13,000–26,000 lb) in weight. The most distinctive feature is their large skull, among the largest of all land animals. Dinosaurs 1st appeared in the fossil record about 230 million years ago during the middle to late triassic period. The first plants with spores, which indicates that they were land  plants, appeared in the Middle Ordovician period, about 470 million  years ago. First records of tetrapods … , or land animals, show up in  the fossil record around 370 million years ago. 2 people found this useful. For example, coelacanth fish exist in the fossil record for what are thought to have been 400 million years. Then they suddenly disappear from the fossil record some 80 million years ago only to reappear alive an well swimming around in oceans today. Ants 40 million years older than previously thought (Link). Animal fossils associated with the Ediacaran Period (635 to 543 million years ago) have been found in sediments that date squarely in the Proterozoic Eon, 1.6 billion years ago-a b Since the first dinosaur fossils were recognized in the early 19th century, mounted fossil dinosaur skeletons have been major attractions at museums around the world, and dinosaurs have become an enduring part of world culture. While modern dinosaurs (birds) are generally small due to the constraints of flight, many prehistoric dinosaurs were large-bodied—the largest sauropod dinosaurs are estimated to have reached lengths of over 40 meters (130 feet) and heights of 18 meters (59 feet) and were the largest land animals of all time. Dinosaur fossils have been found throughout human history, but they have never been called dinosaurs or fossils. People thought they were the bones of dragons. The true inve … stigation of dinosaurs began around 1840 when a woman found a large tooth in the ground. The first plants with spores, which indicates that they were land  plants, appeared in the Middle Ordovician period, about 470 million  years ago. First records of tetrapods … , or land animals, show up in  the fossil record around 370 million years ago. 2 people found this useful. It is one of the last known non-avian dinosaur genera, and became extinct in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event 66 million years ago. The term Triceratops, which literally means three-horned face, is derived from the Greek τρί- (tri-) meaning three, κέρας (keras) kéras meaning, horn and (ὤψ) ops meaning. face Individual Triceratops are estimated to have reached about 7.9 to 9.0 m (26.0–29.5 ft) in length, 2.9 to 3.0 m (9.5 to 9.8 ft) in height, and 6.1–12.0 tonnes (13,000–26,000 lb) in weight. The most distinctive feature is their large skull, among the largest of all land animals. The dinosaurs didn't suddenly appear on the earth. Animals evolved over millions of years to the point where they took the forms we are familiar with now as dinosaurs. The fossil record is clear in this. Smaller, less sophisticated creatures gave way to larger and more complex critters. Some 230 million years ago is the general time that paleontologists consider the dinosaur first appeared. Things rolled along until about 65 million years ago when the lights went out for the dinosaurs. A link to the Wikipedia article on the dinosaur is provided. Dinosaurs first appeared during the Triassic period, around 280 MYA (Million Years Ago), and died out around 65.5 MYA. They evolved from Archosaurs, or Ruling Reptiles. It … is still unknown why they died out. Dinosaur fossils had been known for centuries as dragon bones or the remains of giants, but it wasn't until Dean William Buckland of Oxford, England described the carnivorous lizard Megalosaurus (in 1824) that they were formally studied as an extinct group of giant reptiles.  Triceratops skulls are very common occurrences in the fossil record, in coastal lowland sediments, but skeletons are rare. Many specimens have bones damaged in combats with predators. Triceratops remains were first discovered in 1887 (Colorado, USA). TIME - 70 - 65MYA, Late Cretaceous period. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triceratops https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triceratops http://www.answers.com/Q/When_did_dinosaurs_first_appear_in_the_fossil_record http://detectingdesign.com/fossilrecord.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaur http://www.answers.com/Q/When_did_dinosaurs_first_appear_in_the_fossil_record https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triceratops http://www.answers.com/Q/When_did_dinosaurs_first_appear http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/dinofr.html http://www.prehistory.com/tricerat.htm
when did the triceratops appear in the fossil record