armor

Huaxiazhoulong is a fairly large ankylosaurid dinosaur, at around 6 m in length. It was a robust quadruped with a beak and teeth adapted for processing its herbivorous diet. Huaxiazhoulong had an armor of osteoderms, and the characteristic ankylosaurid tail club which was likely used in defense against predators, as well as intraspecific combat.

Photograph and outline drawing of the skeleton of Chuanqilong chaoyangensis. A, photograph; B, outline drawing. Abbreviations: ca, caudal vertebrae; cb, cervical band; da, dermal armor; dr, dorsal rib; lfe, left femur; lfi, left fibula; lhu, left humerus; lil, left ilium; lis, left ischium; lma, left maxilla; lmd, left mandible; lmt, left metatarsal; lra, left radius; lsc, left scapula; lti, left tibia; lul, left ulna; mc, metacarpals; orb, orbital; pl, plates; q, quadrate; rfe, right femur; rfi, right fibula; rhu, right humerus; ril, right ilium; rma, right maxilla; rmd, right mandible; rmt, right metatarsals; rra, right radius; rsc, right scapula; rti, right tibia; rul, right ulna; sar, sacral rib; te, tendons. [planned for page width].

Stegopelta pelvic armor.

The nodosaurid dinosaur, Glyptodontopelta is mostly known from isolated osteoderms ("armor plates"). The specimen SMP VP-1580 (State Museum of Pennysylvania) is however, the most complete known specimen, comprising parts of the skull, hundreds of osteoderms and fragments. This specimen was discovered in 2003 by Warwick Fowler, in the Naashoibito Member of the Ojo Alamo Formation (Maatrichtian, Late Cretaceous) of the San Juan Basin, New Mexico, during an expedition led by Dr. Robert Sullivan.

In 2000 a virtually complete Scelidosaurus skeleton was discovered in England. This fossil's hundreds of armor plates and spikes are preserved in their life positions, providing extraordinary details about how this dinosaur looked. St. George is the only place anywhere in the Western Hemisphere that the 11-foot long Scelidosaurus replica has been on display. The St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm (St. George, Utah) is home to exceptionally well-preserved dinosaur tracks, some displaying skin impressions. These tracks, along with hundreds of fossil fish, plants, rare dinosaur remains, invertebrates traces and important sedimentary structures, show evidence that this site was produced along the western edge of a large, Early Jurassic (age between 195-198 million years ago) freshwater lake named Lake Dixie. Source: www.sgcity.org/dinotrax/

In 2000 a virtually complete Scelidosaurus skeleton was discovered in England. This fossil's hundreds of armor plates and spikes are preserved in their life positions, providing extraordinary details about how this dinosaur looked. St. George is the only place anywhere in the Western Hemisphere that the 11-foot long Scelidosaurus replica has been on display. The St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm (St. George, Utah) is home to exceptionally well-preserved dinosaur tracks, some displaying skin impressions. These tracks, along with hundreds of fossil fish, plants, rare dinosaur remains, invertebrates traces and important sedimentary structures, show evidence that this site was produced along the western edge of a large, Early Jurassic (age between 195-198 million years ago) freshwater lake named Lake Dixie. Source: www.sgcity.org/dinotrax/

An Ankylosaurus head (cast of specimen AMNH 5214), on display at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana. This is from a specimen collected in Custer County, Montana. The Ankylosauria were armored dinosaurs that lived from 122 million years ago to 66 million years ago in western North America, Europe, and East Asia. There were two subgroups: The Nodosauridae and Ankylosauridae. The Ankylosauridae contained six species, and a single subfamily -- the Ankylosaurinae. There 18 genus within the subfamily, of which Ankylosaurus is the best known. Ankylosaurus as the last of these, and lived 65.5 to 66.5 million years ago. Ankylosaurus was about 20.5 feet long, 5 feet wide, and 5.5 feet tall at the hip. It walked on all fours, with the rear legs longer than the front ones. They ripped vegetation, and swallowed it whole. Their defining feature was their armor. They body was covered in thick, heavy bony plates, and most of the plates were fused together to make them even stronger. Embedded in the skin were more knobs of bone, and the outer skin above these knobs covered in keratin (the same stuff fingernails are made of). Ankylosaurus had a tail club, which consisted of several large osteoderms fused to the last few tail vertebrae. Ankylosaurus was discovered in 1908.