Scolosaurus
Scolosaurus was a tank-like dinosaur covered in bony plates and spikes. It walked on four legs and munched on low plants in what is now Canada, about 76 million years ago. Its body was so well armoured that even its eyelids had bone in them!1
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Fun facts
Scolosaurus had a tail club made of fused bones that it could swing to defend itself.1
The first fossil of Scolosaurus was found in 1914 by William Edmund Cutler, who was badly injured when the heavy skeleton fell on him.1
For many years, scientists thought Scolosaurus was the same as Euoplocephalus, but newer studies show it is a different genus.1
The holotype specimen includes rare skin impressions and bony plates (osteoderms) that show how its armour was arranged.1
Scolosaurus lived alongside other giant herbivores like Centrosaurus and hadrosaurs in the Dinosaur Park ecosystem.1
Its name comes from Greek words meaning 'pointed stake lizard', referring to the many spikes on its body.1
Most asked questions about Scolosaurus
?How big was Scolosaurus?
Scolosaurus measured up to 5.6 metres (18 feet) in length and weighed about 2.2 metric tons (2.4 short tons).1
?Did Scolosaurus have a tail club?
Yes, Scolosaurus had a tail club made of fused bones that it could swing to defend itself.1
?What did Scolosaurus eat?
Scolosaurus ate low plants. It was a herbivore that munched on vegetation in what is now Canada.1
?When did Scolosaurus live?
Scolosaurus lived about 76.5 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period.1
?Where was Scolosaurus found?
Scolosaurus fossils were found in Alberta, Canada, in the Dinosaur Park Formation and Oldman Formation.1
?Is Scolosaurus the same as Euoplocephalus?
No, scientists used to think they were the same, but newer studies show Scolosaurus is a different genus.1
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Myth buster
Myth: Many people think Scolosaurus is just a young Euoplocephalus.
Truth: Scientists now agree Scolosaurus is a valid, separate genus with distinct armour and bones.1
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Scolosaurus
- Named by
- Nopcsa 19282
- Group
- Armoured dinos
- Family / clade
- Ankylosauridae2
- Classification
- Ornithischia > Ankylosauria > Ankylosauridae > Thyreophora2
- Age of the rocks
- 84 to 72 million years (Campanian)2
- Rock formations
- Dinosaur Park2
- Countries
- Canada2
- Fossil records
- 4 in the Paleobiology Database2
- Discovery
- Scolosaurus was named by Hungarian paleontologist Franz Nopcsa in 1928, based on a nearly complete skeleton found by William Cutler in 1914 in Alberta, Canada.12
- Still debated
- Scientists debate whether the dinosaur Oohkotokia from Montana is actually the same as Scolosaurus, which would mean Scolosaurus lived in the USA too.1
Where the facts come from
- Scolosaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
- Scolosaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
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Euoplocephalus
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Velociraptor
Spinosaurus
Parasaurolophus
Pteranodon