
Ankylosaurus[nb 1] is a genus of armored dinosaur. Its fossils have been found in geological formations dating to the very end of the Cretaceous Period, about 68–66 million years ago, in western North America, making it among the last of the non-avian dinosaurs. It was named by Barnum Brown in 1908; the only species in the genus is A. magniventris. The genus name means "fused lizard", and the specific name means "great belly". A handful of specimens have been excavated to date, but a complete skeleton has not been discovered. Though other members of Ankylosauria are represented by more extensive fossil material, Ankylosaurus is often considered the archetypal member of its group, despite having some unusual features. Possibly the largest-known ankylosaurid, Ankylosaurus is estimated to have been between 6 and 8 meters (20 and 26 ft) long and to have weighed between 4.8 and 8 metric tons (5.3 and 8.8 short tons). It was quadrupedal, with a broad, robust body. It had a wide, low skull, with two horns pointing backward from the back of the head, and two horns below these that pointed backward and down. Unlike other ankylosaurs, its nostrils faced sideways rather than towards the front. The front part of the jaws was covered in a beak, with rows of small, leaf-shaped teeth farther behind it. It was covered in armor plates, or osteoderms, with bony half-rings covering the neck, and had a large club on the end of its tail. Bones in the skull and other parts of the body were fused, increasing their strength, and this feature is the source of the genus name. Ankylosaurus is a member of the family Ankylosauridae, and its closest relatives appear to be Anodontosaurus and Euoplocephalus. Ankylosaurus is thought to have been a slow-moving animal, able to make quick movements when necessary. Its broad muzzle indicates it was a non-selective browser. Sinuses and nasal chambers in the snout may have been for heat and water balance or may have played a role in vocalization. The tail club is thought to have been used in defense against predators or in intraspecific combat. Ankylosaurus has been found in the Hell Creek, Lance, Scollard, Frenchman, and Ferris formations, but appears to have been rare in its environment. Although it lived alongside a nodosaurid ankylosaur, their ranges and ecological niches do not appear to have overlapped, and Ankylosaurus may have inhabited upland areas. Ankylosaurus also lived alongside dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, and Edmontosaurus.

Ankylosaurus

Creatures Featured
for Creatures Featured in Jurassic Empire (2025)
Suggested by GodzillaLover04

A Rewrite of Jurassic World Rebirth. 5 years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, Dinosaurs rule the Earth, and mankind is struggling to survive. However, a virus threatens them back into extinction, a virus known as the DX Virus. It shortens the lifespans of Dinosaurs and infects their brains. The Dinosaur Protection Group (DPG) and the Dinosaur Integration Network (DIN) are on a mission to find a cure, led by Zora Bennett. The mission is to find and extract the DNA of some of the most dangerous and uninfected Prehistoric animals, at least several species, on a globe trotting journey. Doing so can offer life-saving benefits for both the Dinosaurs and Mankind. As the mission becomes more risky, and chaos ensues once again, old and new faces will make a sinister discovery that's been hidden from the public for decades... But no matter what happens, the world will always be... A Jurassic Empire.





