Edmontonia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Edmontonia |
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| Mounted skeleton of E. rugosidens, specimen AMNH 5665 | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Order: | †Ornithischia |
| Family: | †Nodosauridae |
| Genus: | †Edmontonia Sternberg, 1928 |
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Edmontonia was a fascinating dinosaur that lived a long, long time ago. It was a type of armoured dinosaur, like a walking tank! It belonged to a group called nodosaurs. Edmontonia lived during the Upper Cretaceous period, which was about 76 to 66 million years ago. This amazing creature roamed the lands of what is now Canada.
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Meet Edmontonia: The Armored Dinosaur!
Edmontonia was a very heavy and strong dinosaur. It could grow to be about 6.6 meters (22 feet) long. That's longer than a typical school bus! It was built like a tank, covered in tough protection.
What Did Edmontonia Look Like?
Imagine a dinosaur covered head to tail in bony plates. That was Edmontonia! Its back and head were protected by these strong, bony shields. It also had many sharp spikes along its back and tail. The most impressive spikes were four large ones that stuck out from each of its shoulders. These spikes were a great way to scare off predators.
Edmontonia was a herbivore, meaning it ate plants. It likely spent its days munching on low-growing plants and ferns.
How Did Edmontonia Protect Itself?
With all that armor, Edmontonia was well-protected. But its belly was soft and defenceless. If a big predator like Tyrannosaurus rex came too close, Edmontonia had a clever trick. It would likely crouch down on the ground. This way, its armored back and sides were facing the attacker, keeping its soft underside safe. Its shoulder spikes would also make it a very difficult meal!
Where Did Edmontonia Live?
Fossils of Edmontonia have been found in North America, mainly in Canada. It lived in areas that were once lush forests and floodplains. Other dinosaurs like Triceratops and Ankylosaurus also lived during the Late Cretaceous period.
Discovering Edmontonia
The first Edmontonia fossils were discovered in 1928. They were found by a famous paleontologist named Charles M. Sternberg. He gave the dinosaur its name, which comes from the Edmonton Formation in Alberta, Canada, where the fossils were found. Finding these fossils helped scientists learn a lot about what dinosaurs were like millions of years ago.
Images for kids
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Restoration of E. rugosidens
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Restored E. rugosidens skeleton without back armour
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Skull and neck armor
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Edmontonia reconstruction in Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
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Life restoration of two E. rugosidens from 1922, based on the 1915 AMNH specimen
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Left side of E. rugosidens specimen AMNH 5665
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Close up of the shoulder spikes of AMNH 5665
See also
In Spanish: Edmontonia para niños
