Quck answer
Ankylosaurus was a herbivorous dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period. It was a heavily armored dinosaur that had a tank-like appearance. Ankylosaurus had a long, heavy tail that ended in a club-like structure made of bone. This club was used as a weapon to defend against predators. Ankylosaurus had a low, wide body and short legs, making it slow-moving but well-suited for its role as a defensive herbivore. Despite its tough exterior, Ankylosaurus was preyed upon by some of the largest predators of its time, including Tyrannosaurus rex.
Extinct Animals
This image shows three Ankylosaurus fighting against an Albertosaurus. De Agostini/Getty Images
When it comes to dinosaurs, people often think of them as fearsome predators that were huge and dangerous. However, not all of them were like that. An example of a herbivorous dinosaur is the Ankylosaurus.
A Plant-Eating Tank
The Ankylosaurus was a large dinosaur, with the biggest one ever found measuring 20.5 feet (6.25 meters) long and weighing around 4 tons (3.6 metric tons). Despite its size, it was not a carnivore but a herbivore, meaning it ate only plants. The Ankylosaurus was nicknamed “fused lizard” because its bony plates were fused together, forming a tough armor that protected it from predators.
Dr. Hans Sues is a senior research geologist and fossil vertebrate curator at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. According to him, “Ankylosaurs were so heavily armored that even their upper eyelid was protected by a bony plate. One group of ankylosaurs, Ankylosauridae, had massive clubs of bone at the end of their tails, and they could swing their tails to inflict massive damage on the legs of an attacking predator.”
The Ankylosaurus had a broad, triangular-shaped skull and sturdy legs. Its armor consisted of hard plates with bony spikes and knobs called osteoderms or scutes. It also had horned protuberances above its eyes and on the sides of its face. Although not all ankylosaurs had the same armor pattern, all had armor to protect them from predators, especially Tyrannosaurus, Tarbosaurus, and Deinonychus.
The Ankylosaurus spent most of its day eating low-lying plants, using its small teeth similar to those of modern-day plant-eating lizards. However, a nearly perfect ankylosaur skeleton from British Columbia, Canada, revealed that some ankylosaurs also ate small fish.
Ankylosaurs have been found in many places around the world, including Europe, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, and North and South America. Hylaeosaurus, one of the first dinosaurs ever discovered, was an ankylosaur found in southern England in 1831.
Ankylosaur Had a Strong Sense of Smell to Hunt and Avoid Predators
According to a study published in the Journal of Anatomy in 2011, Ankylosaurs had a complex nasal system that included a large cavity volume for the olfactory sense. This suggests that they had a highly developed sense of smell to locate food and avoid predators.
It is unclear whether Ankylosaurs were social or moved in herds as adults, as there is no evidence to support either theory. However, a group of young Ankylosaurs was discovered in the Gobi Desert. Despite their resemblance to alligators and crocodiles, Ankylosaurus is not related to them. Birds are the closest living relatives of dinosaurs, according to Sues.
These creatures lived during the Late Cretaceous period in North America and were among the last dinosaurs on earth. The USGS estimates that dinosaurs went extinct about 65 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous period. Ankylosaurus tracks have been found in the western US, including in Utah’s Arches National Park and in the Patuxent Formation in Maryland, in addition to fossil sites in Montana.
Interestingly, in 2016, a team of paleontologists discovered a new species of Ankylosaur in Montana’s Judith River Formation that resembled the mythical monster Zuul from “Ghostbusters.” The specimen was named Zuul crurivastator, which means “destroyer of shins” in Latin, after the Ankylosaurs’ club-like tail.
FAQ
1. What is Ankylosaurus?
Ankylosaurus was a type of armored dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, about 68-66 million years ago. It was a herbivorous dinosaur and one of the biggest of its kind.
2. How big was Ankylosaurus?
It was around 30 feet long, 6 feet wide, and weighed up to 6 tons. It had a low-slung body and short, sturdy legs that supported its massive weight.
3. What made Ankylosaurus unique?
Ankylosaurus was known for its heavily armored body, which was covered in bony plates called osteoderms. It also had a thick, club-like tail that could deliver a powerful blow to any predator that threatened it.
4. How did Ankylosaurus defend itself?
Its tail was its primary weapon in defense. The club at the end of its tail was made of solid bone and could generate enough force to break bones. Its armor also provided protection against predators.
5. What did Ankylosaurus eat?
Ankylosaurus was a herbivore, and its diet consisted mainly of low-lying vegetation such as ferns, cycads, and conifers. Its powerful jaws and teeth were adapted for grinding tough plant material.
6. Where have Ankylosaurus fossils been found?
Ankylosaurus fossils have been found in North America, specifically in Montana, Wyoming, and Alberta, Canada.
7. Did Ankylosaurus live in herds or alone?
It is believed that Ankylosaurus lived in small family groups, although there is no direct evidence to support this. It is also possible that they lived alone.
8. When did Ankylosaurus go extinct?
Ankylosaurus, like all non-avian dinosaurs, went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period, about 66 million years ago. The exact cause of their extinction is still debated among scientists, but it is widely believed that a catastrophic event, such as an asteroid impact, played a major role.
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