Mymoorapelta

Mymoorapelta is one of the earliest known nodosaurids, a group of armoured dinosaurs without a tail club.1

Its name honors Peter and Marilyn Mygatt and John D. and Vanetta Moore, who discovered the quarry where its fossils were found.2

The most complete specimen includes a partial skull, vertebrae, ribs, and many pieces of armour.1

Mymoorapelta had five different types of armour, from sharp spines to a large shield made of tiny bony plates over its hips.1

It was a small dinosaur, only about 3 metres (9.8 feet) long, making it one of the smallest armoured dinosaurs from the Jurassic.1

Fossils of the predator Allosaurus have been found with bite marks on Mymoorapelta bones, showing that Allosaurus hunted it.1

Mymoorapelta lived alongside giant sauropods like Apatosaurus and Camarasaurus, but it ate low plants while they ate high leaves.1