A LARGE, Top Quality Denversaurus schlessmani osteoderm (bony armor plate) from the late Cretaceous of northern North America. Denversaurus schlessmaniwas the Nodosaur which grew to 20 feet and 6000 pounds, and a body covered with this heavy bony armor. Nodosaur armor plates are thicker than the Ankylosaur plates. A near complete body osteoderm plate from an adult Denversaurus with excellent surface articulation. The bone is excellent quality with excellent color / patina. No cracks or restoration. Legally collected on private land in the Lance Creek Fm., Niobrara Co., Wyoming. Authenticity guaranteed. An excellent collector's quality Nodosaur osteoderm. I do not see large top quality ostederms very often.
Ankylosaurs and the Nodosaurs, their cousins, are the familiar armored dinosaurs from the late Cretaceous period. They were covered with osteoderms or boney plates of protective armor, and the Ankylosaurs had a clubbed tail for added defense. The Ankylosaurs and the Nodosaurs were large. Ankylosaurus, the largest Ankylosaur, reached lengths up to 30 feet and weight to 17000 lbs. Edmontonia, a Nodosaur, reached lengths of 22 feet and weighed up to 7000 lbs. These dinosaurs were built close to the ground, wide barrel-chested, and quadrupedal. You can see them referred as the “tanks” of the dinosaur world, and would be quite challenging for a Tyrannosaur or raptor to attack; especially, the Ankylosaurs with their club tails. Many Tyrannosaurs including Tyrannosaurus rex have been found with broken and healed leg fractures. Those dinosaurs may have survived an encounter with an Ankylosaur.
Ankylosaurs and the Nodosaurs were herbivores. They had good sized teeth for cutting or nipping low lying vegetation. Today, we find their fossilized teeth, osteoderms (armor plates), and bones. We have a great assortment of Ankylosaurus fossils for sale. Note – Ankylosaurus was a rare species composing of only 1% of the dinosaurs species found in the Hell Creek Formation.
Species include the following –
Ankylosaurus magniventris– the largest Ankylosaur, Hell Creek Formation; 67-66 mya
Denversaurus schlessmani - the Hell Creek Fm. Nodosaur ; 67-66 mya
Euplocephalus tutus– an Ankylosaur, Judith River / Two Medicine / Horseshoe Canyon Fm.; 76-75 mya
Edmontia rugosidens– a Nodosaur, Judith River / Two Medicine / Horseshoe Canyon Fm.; 77-69 mya
Zuulcrurivastator - an Ankylosaur, Judith River Fm. - Montana; 80 -75 mya
