Wikijunior:Dinosaurs/Ankylosaurus

From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection

A drawing of an Ankylosaurus.

Ankylosaurus means 'fused lizard' in Greek. It is one of largest of a group of armoured dinosaurs.

[edit] 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. However the 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.

[edit] What did it eat?

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

[edit] When did it live?

Ankylosaurus lived around 70 to 65 million years ago. This means it was one of the dinosaurs that died out in the K-T mass extinction.

[edit] Where did it live?

Ankylosaurus lived in woodland with lots of open spaces and clearings. They lived in North America but close relatives lived in Asia.

[edit] 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.

[edit] What do we need to learn?

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