Nodosaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids NodosaurusTemporal range: Upper Cretaceous, 113–98 mya
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Nodosaurus
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Nodosaurus (which means "knobbed lizard") was a big, armored dinosaur that walked on four legs, a bit like a living tank! It lived a very long time ago, about 113 to 98 million years ago, during the first part of the Upper Cretaceous period.
About Nodosaurus
Nodosaurus was first named by a scientist called Othniel C. Marsh in 1889. So far, only three very incomplete Nodosaurus fossils have been found. These fossils were discovered in Wyoming and Kansas in the United States. It's interesting because no skulls of Nodosaurus have been found yet!
What it Looked Like
Nodosaurus was about 13 to 20 feet (4 to 6 meters) long. That's about the length of a small school bus! It was an ornithischian dinosaur, which means it had hips shaped like a bird's.
Its body was covered with strong, bony plates, almost like natural armor. It had four short legs and feet with five toes on each. Nodosaurus also had a short neck and a long tail. Unlike some other armored dinosaurs, Nodosaurus did not have a club at the end of its tail. Scientists are still not sure exactly how these dinosaurs defended themselves from predators.
Images for kids
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Pelvis of the holotype specimen
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Scutes of the holotype specimen
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Historical reconstruction of the holotype skeleton from 1921
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See also
In Spanish: Nodosaurus textilis para niños
