Dino card No. 2027 of 2,027

Zuul

Say it: ZOOL

Name means: “named after Zuul, a monster from the movie Ghostbusters, and 'crurivastator' means 'destroyer of shins'”1

Ate: PlantsArmoured dinosLate Cretaceous

Zuul was a heavily armoured dinosaur that looked like a living tank. It had a huge club on the end of its tail that it could swing like a sledgehammer. This dinosaur was one of the most complete ankylosaurs ever found in North America.2

Lived

84 to 72 million years ago5

Late Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Judith River Formation, Montana, USA2 1

Food

Plants5

Length

6 to 7 m2

estimated based on related ankylosaurs

Weight

2.5 tonnes to 3 tonnes2

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

as long as 4 bicycles in a rowas long as 39 bananas end to endas heavy as 2 carsas heavy as 100 big dogsas heavy as 600 watermelons

How big was Zuul compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

cool stuff

Fun facts

Zuul is the most complete ankylosaurid ever found in North America, with a complete skull and tail club preserved together.2

The fossil of Zuul had soft tissue preserved, including skin impressions and dark films that might be keratin, the same stuff your fingernails are made of.2

Zuul lived about 76 to 75 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period.1

Its tail club was like a sledgehammer, and its species name 'crurivastator' means 'destroyer of shins'.1

Zuul was named after a monster from the 1984 movie Ghostbusters.1

The skeleton of Zuul was found in a bonebed with other animals, in badlands near Havre, Montana.1

AI-made picture of Zuul — An AI-made picture of how Zuul might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Zuul

?How big was Zuul?

Zuul was about 6 metres (20 feet) long and weighed more than 2.5 tonnes.3 4

?What did Zuul eat?

Zuul was a plant-eater. It likely ate ferns and shrubs.3

?Why did Zuul have a tail club?

Zuul probably used its tail club to defend itself from predators like tyrannosaurs, or to fight other ankylosaurs over territory or mates. It could swing it like a sledgehammer.3

?When did Zuul live?

Zuul lived about 76 to 75 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous Period.3 4

?Where was Zuul found?

Zuul's skeleton was found in Hill County, Montana, USA, on private land near Havre.3 4

?Is Zuul a dinosaur?

Yes, Zuul is a dinosaur. It is an armoured dinosaur called an ankylosaur.3

?How was Zuul named?

Zuul was named after a monster from the 1984 movie Ghostbusters. Its species name, crurivastator, means 'destroyer of shins'.3 4

?What would happen if Zuul was alive today?

Nobody knows for sure, but with its heavy armour and powerful tail club, it would be a very tough plant-eater. It would probably not be a threat to people unless provoked.3

Ask Rex about Zuul

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Myth buster

Myth: Some people think Zuul was a slow, clumsy dinosaur.

Truth: Zuul was probably quite agile for its size, with strong legs and a flexible tail that could swing its club quickly to defend itself.2

For dino experts

Scientific name: Zuul
Named by: Arbour and Evans 20175
Group: Armoured dinos
Family / clade: Ankylosauridae5
Classification: Ornithischia > Ankylosauria > Ankylosauridae > Thyreophora5
Age of the rocks: 84 to 72 million years (Campanian)5
Rock formations: Judith River5
Countries: USA5
Fossil records: 1 in the Paleobiology Database5
Discovery: Zuul was named by paleontologists Victoria Arbour and David Evans in 2017. The skeleton was found by a commercial fossil company in the Judith River Formation of Montana.5 1
Still debated: Scientists are still debating exactly how Zuul used its tail club, whether for fighting other dinosaurs or for defense against predators.2

Where the facts come from

royalsocietypublishing.org (royalsocietypublishing.org)
A new ankylosaurine dinosaur from the Judith River Formation of Montana, USA, based on an exceptional skeleton with soft tissue preservation (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Zuul, Destroyer of Shins | Royal Ontario Museum (rom.on.ca)
Zuul (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia)
Zuul 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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