Wikijunior:Dinosaurs/Ankylosaurus

A drawing of an Ankylosaurus

Ankylosaurus means 'fused lizard' in Greek. It is one of largest members of a group of armoured dinosaurs. The most common species of Ankylosaurus was Ankylosaurus magniventris. Magniventris means great-bellied.

What did it look like?

Ankylosaurus was heavily armoured. Its back was covered in thick plates. Also, there were two rows of spikes along its back and its tail ended in a big bony club. These features were used as a defence against bigger dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus. Its belly was unprotected, but because Ankylosaurus had a row of spikes on each side, and was very heavy, it was hard to flip it over. It weighed 3–4 tons. It was 25–35 feet long and 4 feet tall.

What did it eat?

Ankylosaurus was a herbivore. This means it only ate plants.

When did it live?

Ankylosaurus lived between 65.5 to 68 million years ago, during the late Cretaceous Period, and was one of the dinosaurs to survive until the K-T mass extinction.

Where did it live?

Ankylosaurus lived in woodland with lots of open spaces and clearings, where lots of plant life could be found. They lived in North America but close relatives lived in Asia.

How was it discovered?

Ankylosaurus fossils have been found in the continent of North America. They were named in 1908 by a famous fossil-hunter named Barnum Brown. Ankylosaurus footprints have been found in Bolivia, South America.

What do we need to learn?

• Their skin colour.
• Did they travel alone, or in herds?