Animantarx
Animantarx was a slow-moving, plant-eating dinosaur covered in heavy armor like a tank. It had no club on its tail, unlike some of its relatives. This dinosaur was discovered using a Geiger counter because its bones were slightly radioactive!12
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Fun facts
Animantarx was the first dinosaur discovered using only technology,a Geiger counter detected its radioactive bones underground.2
Its name means 'living citadel' because its heavy armor made it almost impossible for predators to attack.1
Only one specimen of Animantarx has ever been found, including the lower jaw, back of the skull, neck and back vertebrae, and parts of the legs.1
Animantarx lived about 106 to 97 million years ago during the Early and Late Cretaceous periods.1
Its skull was highly domed on top, and it had small horns on the bones behind its eyes and on its cheekbones.1
The lower jaw of Animantarx was only armored on half its length, which is a unique feature among its relatives.1
Most asked questions about Animantarx
?How big was Animantarx?
About 3 metres long. Its skull was about 25 centimetres long.1
?What did Animantarx eat?
It was a plant-eater. It ate low-growing plants like ferns and shrubs.3
?Did Animantarx have a tail club?
No, it did not have a tail club. Unlike some of its relatives, it only had heavy armor on its body.1
?How was Animantarx discovered?
It was found using a Geiger counter that detected the radioactivity of its bones. No bones were showing on the surface.1
?Where did Animantarx live?
It lived in what is now Utah, USA, about 106 to 97 million years ago. The area was a floodplain with rivers and swamps.1
?Is Animantarx a dinosaur?
Yes, it is a dinosaur. It is a type of nodosaurid ankylosaur, which is an armored, plant-eating dinosaur.1
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For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Animantarx
- Named by
- Carpenter et al. 19994
- Group
- Armoured dinos
- Family / clade
- Nodosauridae4
- Classification
- Ornithischia > Ankylosauria > Nodosauridae > Thyreophora4
- Age of the rocks
- 121 to 100 million years (Aptian / Albian)4
- Rock formations
- Cedar Mountain4
- Countries
- USA4
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database4
- Discovery
- Animantarx was discovered by Ramal Jones, a retired radiologist, in 1999. He used a Geiger counter to find the radioactive bones in the Cedar Mountain Formation of Utah. The species was named after him by Carpenter and colleagues.12
- Still debated
- Scientists are not sure exactly how Animantarx is related to other nodosaurid dinosaurs. Some studies suggest it is closely related to Edmontonia, but its exact place in the family tree is still debated.1
Where the facts come from
- Animantarx (en.wikipedia.org)
- Animantarx ramaljonesi (eastern.usu.edu)
- Animantarx - Dinosaur Dictionary (dinosaurdictionary.com)
- Animantarx in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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