Euoplocephalus is a genus of big, closely armored dinosaurs that lived in North America throughout the Late Cretaceous interval. This dinosaur had a properly-protected physique with bony plates protecting its again and a clubbed tail. Nevertheless, it was a delicate herbivore, and its armor was solely helpful for self-protection.
Description & Measurement
Euoplocephalus is a genus of herbivorous ankylosaurid dinosaurs that lived within the Late Cretaceous interval (between 99.6 million to 65.5 million years in the past). The one named member of this genus is the Euoplocephalus tutus. The unique title given to this genus was Stereocephalus, which might have translated into “strong head” in Greek. Nevertheless, since this title was already taken by one other animal specie, a brand new title, Euoplocephalus, which suggests “properly-armored head,” was assigned.
Scientists know quite a bit concerning the Euplochephalus‘s look as a result of lots of its fossils have been properly-preserved. It was a large dinosaur round 19ft to 23ft in size. That is medium-sized in comparison with different dinosaurs within the ankylosaurid household. The dinosaur was about two metric tons in weight.
It had a low-slung physique, with a flat and huge stance on 4 sturdy legs. Like different family members Ankylosauridae, the Euoplocephalus had a closely armored physique with rows of huge excessive-ridged scutes on its again. Two bony rings lined this dinosaur’s neck, and it had an enormous membership on the finish of its tail.
The armored protecting on different ankylosaurid dinosaurs was restricted to their physique. Nevertheless, the Euoplocephalus had a bony plate to guard its eyelids. This dinosaur had a brief and dropping snout with a attractive beak which was used to chunk off vegetation. It had a single curved row of tooth which was tailored to its weight-reduction plan.
Diet – What Did Euoplocephalus Eat?
Like different ankylosaurid dinosaurs, Euoplocephalus was an herbivore. Its mouth had a broad muzzle, suggesting that it had a various weight-reduction plan. Scientists are usually not certain about the kind of plant that this dinosaur ate. Whereas some consider that it almost certainly ate delicate, non-abrasive vegetation, current research recommend that this dinosaur and others in its household have been able to consuming robust fibrous plant supplies. The Euoplocephalus almost certainly grazed on low-mendacity vegetation, together with primitive ferns and bushes.
Habitat – When And The place It Lived
Eupolocaphalus lived in North America throughout the Late Cretaceous Interval (between 99.6 million to 65.5 million years in the past). It almost certainly lived on the Western aspect of North America. This space had an enormous inland sea on the time, which supplied a number of moisture that allowed the expansion of vegetation that Euoplocephalus ate up.
Threats And Predators
Contemplating the dimensions of this dinosaur and the spiked armor plates that lined its physique, Euoplocephalus was most likely properly-shielded from lots of the predators with which it shared a habitat across the similar interval. Nevertheless, it’s uncertain that the armor would have held up in opposition to giant predators just like the Tyrannosaurus.
Discoveries And Fossils – The place It Was Discovered
In 1887, scientists found the primary fossil of Euoplocephalus in an space that’s now in current-day Dinosaur Park, positioned within the Deer-River Valley, Alberta, Canada. Upon discovery, Paleontologists named the newly found species Stereocephalus, which is a reference to the properly-protected cranium that they discovered. Nevertheless, scientists had already used the title on an insect species found earlier. This necessitated a reputation change for the Euoplocephalus in 1910.
Since then, paleontologists have uncovered a number of Ankylosaurid fossils within the Campanian formations of North America. Initially, they thought these fossils belonged to the Euoplocephalus. This is able to have made it one of many fossil file’s most properly-identified dinosaurs. Nevertheless, from additional research, we now know that the fossils belong to different dinosaur species. Solely 12 genuine finds of Euoplocephalus are on file up to now. Nonetheless, we all know quite a bit concerning the construct of this animal as a result of the fossil file comprises many properly-preserved, nearly-full skeletons.
Extinction – When Did It Die Out?
Euoplocephalus went extinct between 65 to 70 million years in the past in the direction of the top of the Cretaceous. The disappearance of this dinosaur species is perhaps linked to the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction occasion, which worn out the non-avian dinosaurs about 66 million years in the past.
Similar Animals to The Euoplocephalus
Similar dinosaurs to the Euoplocephalus embody:
- Ankylosaurus: it is a genus of dinosaurs that belonged to the identical household because the Euoplocephalus. It was additionally closely armored, though it didn’t have a bony plate to guard its head.
- Hadrosaurus: the Hadrosaurus was an herbivorous dinosaur that lived in North America throughout the Late Cretaceous interval.
- Gorgosaurus: this was a predator dinosaur species that lived in western North America alongside the Euoplocephalus. Contemplating its dimension, it almost certainly didn’t stand an opportunity in opposition to the closely armored Euoplocephalus.
Associated Animals
- Polacanthus
- Pachycephalosaurus
- Kentrosaurus
