Nodosaurus

Nodosaurus

Holozoa

Nodosaurus
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous
Historical restoration of a Nodosaurus textilis skeleton from 1921
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Superorder: Dinosauria
Order: Ornithischia
Suborder: Ankylosauria
Family: Nodosauridae
Genus: Nodosaurus
Marsh, 1889
Species: N. textilis
Binomial name
Nodosaurus textilis
Marsh, 1889

Nodosaurus (meaning "knobbed lizard") was a genus of herbivorous ankylosaurian dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous, the fossils of which are found in North America. Two incomplete specimens have been discovered in Wyoming and Kansas, and no skulls. One of the first armored dinosaurs to be discovered in North America, Nodosaurus was named by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1889.

This nodosaurid ankylosaur was about 13 to 20 feet (4.0 to 6.1 m) long. It was an ornithischian dinosaur with bony dermal plates covering the top of its body, and it may have had spikes along its side as well. The dermal plates were arranged in bands along its body, with narrow bands over the ribs alternating with wider plates in between. These wider plates were covered in regularly arranged bony nodules, which give the animal its scientific name.[1]

It had four short legs, five-toed feet, a short neck, and a long, stiff, clubless tail. The head was narrow, with a pointed snout, powerful jaws, and small teeth.[1] It perhaps ate soft plants, as it would have been unable to chew tough, fibrous ones; or alternatively it may have processed the latter with gastroliths and its enormous intestinal apparatus.

It is thought that without a club on its tail, Nodosaurus would have been left without much in terms of active defenses. When threatened, it probably dropped to the ground so that only its armored back and sides were exposed, much like modern-day hedgehogs.

Various nodosaur scutes found in the Eastern US have a good chance of being identified as, and probably are, scutes of the genus Nodosaurus.

References

  1. ^ a b Palmer, D., ed (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. pp. 158–159. ISBN 1-84028-152-9. 
  • Cretaceous Dinosaurs of the Southeastern United States, by David T. King Jr.
Tyrannoskull.jpg Dinosaurs portal

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Nodosaurus — Sklettrekonstruktion von Nodosaurus aus dem Jahr 1921. Zeitraum Cenomanium (Oberkreide) 99,6 bis 93,5 Mio. Jahre Fundorte …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Nodosaurus — est un genre de dinosaure ayant vécu au Crétacé supérieur[réf. nécessaire]. Il mesurait 5,5 mètres de long[réf. nécessaire]. Nodosaurus était un Nodosauridae, c est lui qui a donné son nom à sa famille. Son squelette a été trouvé aux… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Nodosaurus —   Nodosaurus Rango temporal: Cretácico superior …   Wikipedia Español

  • Nodosaurus — ▪ dinosaur genus       armoured dinosaurs (dinosaur) found as fossils in North America dating from 95 million to 90 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous Period. A heavy animal about 5.5 metres (18 feet) long, Nodosaurus had a long tail… …   Universalium

  • Nodosaurus textilis — Nodosaurus Zeitraum Oberkreide 95 Mio. Jahre Fossilfundorte USA Systematik Vogelbeckensaurier (Ornithischia) Thyreophora Eurypoda …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • nodosaurus — no·do·sau·rus …   English syllables

  • nodosaurus — ˌ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˈsȯrəs noun Usage: capitalized Etymology: New Latin, from Latin nodus node, knot + New Latin saurus : a genus of heavily armored No. American Upper Cretaceous dinosaurs somewhat resembling gigantic horned toads …   Useful english dictionary

  • Ankylosaurier — Ankylosauria Skelett von Euoplocephalus Zeitraum Mittlerer Jura bis Oberkreide 160 bis 65 Mio. Jahre Fossilfundorte weltweit …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Нодозавр — Не следует путать с нотозавром  доисторической водоплавающей рептилией отряда Nothosauroidea. ? † Нодозавр …   Википедия

  • Nodosauridae — Opisthokonta Nodosaurids Temporal range: Late Jurassic Late Cretaceous, 155–65 Ma …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”