Story highlights Newly unearthed dinosaur had neither horns nor a bony frill

But it was an older cousin of the well-known triceratops

Researcher: "Significant discovery" helps understand evolution of horned dinosaurs

Hong Kong (CNN) Triceratops, one of the most widely recognizable of the dinosaurs that once roamed our planet, has a new cousin.

Known for its three-horned head and bony, frilly collar, the triceratops somewhat resembles the modern-day rhinoceros.

But not only is its new relative older -- by 100 million years -- it also looks dramatically different.

Discovered in the Gobi Desert in northwestern China, hualianceratops "provides significant information on the early evolution of horned dinosaurs," says paleontologist Xu Xing , who worked on the discovery announced Wednesday.