nodosaur
Spiky prehistoric reptile
A nodosaur is a type of armored dinosaur from the Cretaceous period, characterized by bony plates and spikes covering its body but lacking the tail club found on its close relative, the ankylosaur.
Nodosaurs were herbivorous, heavily built, and walked on four legs.
The name means "knobbed lizard," referring to the bony nodes studding their armor.
Surface metal application
- armorProtective combat covering
- scalesPlates or weighing devices
- carapaceProtective dorsal exoskeleton
- spikesSharp metal protrusions
scutes · quadruped · herbivore · beaked · low-slung · squat · stocky · grazer
Preserved ancient organism
- excavationAct of unearthing
- sedimentParticles settling in liquid
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
bones · petrification · mummy · preservation · specimen · articulated · quarry · dig
Before documented civilization
- cretaceousLast Mesozoic period
- MesozoicAge of Reptiles
- ancientVery old indeed
- extinctionComplete vanishing of a species
landmass · Gondwana · paleoecology · contemporaries · habitat · ecosystem · flora · fauna
Last Mesozoic period
- genusTaxonomic rank above species
- speciesFinest taxonomic rank
- classificationSystematic grouping by traits
plating
Surface metal application
- armorProtective combat covering
- scalesPlates or weighing devices
- carapaceProtective dorsal exoskeleton
spikes · scutes · quadruped · herbivore · beaked · low-slung · squat · stocky · grazer · plant-eater
fossil
Preserved ancient organism
- excavationAct of unearthing
- sedimentParticles settling in liquid
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
skeleton · bones · petrification · mummy · preservation · specimen · articulated · quarry · dig · fieldwork
prehistoric
Before documented civilization
- cretaceousLast Mesozoic period
- MesozoicAge of Reptiles
- ancientVery old indeed
extinction · landmass · Gondwana · paleoecology · contemporaries · habitat · ecosystem · flora · fauna · timeline
cretaceous
Last Mesozoic period
- genusTaxonomic rank above species
- speciesFinest taxonomic rank
- classificationSystematic grouping by traits
nodosaurtheropod
Bipedal carnivorous dinosaur group
Tyrannosaurus rex · Velociraptor · apex predator · Spinosaurus · raptor
dinosaur, node, dinosaurs, ankylosaurus, nodule, nodular, ankylosaur, nodulation, ankylosaurs