Genus

Valid Extinct

Nodocephalosaurus

Sullivan 1999

Nodocephalosaurus is a monospecific genus of ankylosaurid dinosaur from New Mexico that lived during the Late Cretaceous in what is now the De-na-zin member of the Kirtland Formation. The type and only species, Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis, is known only from a partial skull. It was named in 1999 by Robert M. Sullivan. Nodocephalosaurus has an estimated length of 4.5 metres and weight of 1.5 tonnes. It is closely related and shares similar cranial anatomy to Akainacephalus.

Temporal range

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

Paleogene

Neogene

252 201 145 66 0 Ma

PBDB occurrences

Group

Dinosaures

Herbivore Ground dwelling, gregarious Terrestrial

click to enlarge

Comparison of cranial features between closely related southern Laramidian taxa; (A), Akainacephalus johnsoni (UMNH VP 20202) from the Late Cretaceous Kaiparowits Formation of Utah; and (B), Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis (SMP VP-900) from the Late Cretaceous Kirtland Formation of New Mexico, in left lateral views. Various synapomorphies are shared with N. kirtlandensis (highlighted in black and white arrows) and includes “flaring nostrils”; enlarged, laterally projecting, loreal osteoderms that are situated directly dorsal to the external nares. Other synapomorphies include pyramid-shaped nasal and frontal osteoderms positioned on the dorsal regions of the skull. A number of significant differences have been observed between both specimens; in A. johnsoni, the anterior, and posterior supraorbital bosses form an enlarged element that is somewhat backswept, whereas in N. kirtlandensis, the posterior and anterior supraorbital bosses are clearly defined as individual osteoderms, and are much smaller in size. Additionally, the squamosal horn in Akainacephalus is very small but is prominent and tetrahedrally shaped in Nodocephalosaurus. The quadratojugal horn in Akainacephalus is massive, has a subtriangular morphology in lateral view and projects almost entirely ventral, whereas in Nodocephalosaurus, the quadratojugal horn is smaller and has a typical fin-shaped morphology. Study sites: asob, anterior supraorbital boss; ext naris, external naris; laca, lacrimal caputegulum; loca, loreal caputegulum; naca, nasal caputegulae; orb, orbit; psob, posterior supraorbital boss; qjh, quadratojugal horn; sqh, squamosal horn. © Jelle P. Wiersma, Randall B. Irmis · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia

PBDB ↗ Wikipedia ↗

Classification

Dinosauria Unranked clade

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Ornithischia Unranked clade

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Parapredentata Unranked clade

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Saphornithischia Unranked clade

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Prionodontia Unranked clade

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Genasauria Unranked clade

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Thyreophora Unranked clade

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Thyreophoroidea Superfamily

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Eurypoda Unranked clade

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Ankylosauria Unranked clade

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Euankylosauria Unranked clade

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Ankylosauridae Family

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Ankylosaurinae Subfamily

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Nodocephalosaurus Genus

Fossil sites 6 geolocated sites

Distribution

Top countries

🇺🇸 United States

Geological formations

Kirtland

Temporal distribution

Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)

Species (1)

Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis 84 Ma

Images 1

Bibliography

Original description

R. M. Sullivan. 1999. Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis, gen. et sp. nov., a new ankylosaurid dinosaur (Ornithischia: Ankylosauria) from the Upper Cretaceous Kirtland Formation (Upper Campanian) San Juan Basin, New Mexico. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 19(1):126-139 DOI ↗

Bibliography (3)

M. E. Burns and R. M. Sullivan. 2011. The tail club of Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis (Dinosauria: Ankylosauridae), with a review of ankylosaurid tail club morphology and homology. Fossil Record 3. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 53:179-186

R. M. Sullivan and D. W. Fowler. 2006. New specimens of the rare ankylosaurid dinosaur Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis (Ornithischia: Ankylosauridae) from the Upper Cretaceous Kirtland Formation (De-na-zin Member), San Juan Basin, New Mexico. Late Cretaceous Vertebrates from the Western Interior. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 35:259-261

Nodocephalosaurus

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