Anodontosaurus was a medium-sized, plant-eating Ankylosaurian dinosaur that existed from the Campanian Age to mid-Maastrichtian Age of the Late Cretaceous period, around 83.6 million years ago. It is also known as the ‘toothless lizard’.
Key Facts
| Domain | Description |
|---|---|
| Anodontosaurus pronunciation | An-o-dont-o-sore-us |
| What does Anodontosaurus mean? | The name Anodontosaurus translates to ‘toothless lizard’ in Ancient Greek. It was named by Charles Mortram Sternberg in 1928 based on the preserved skeleton from 1916. |
| Dinosaur type | Ankylosauria |
| On the menu | Herbivore |
| Length | 16.4 ft (5 m ) |
| Height | There’s no estimated or exact measurement for the Anodontosaurus height. |
| Weight | 1814.4 kg to 2000 kg (4000 lbs to 4409.2 lbs) |
| Life expectancy | Unfortunately, the exact lifespan of Anodontosaurus is not yet known, but they were believed to be extinct about 67 million years ago. |
| Legs used to get around | Quadrupedal |
| Estimated top speed | The exact speed of this dinosaur is unknown however, because of the armor discovered on their bodies, it was assumed that it was a slow mover. |
| When they lived | Anodontosaurus existed during the Late Campanian to the mid-Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous period, around 83.6 million years ago. |
| Where they have been found? | Their remains were recovered in Southern Alberta, Canada in the upper region of the Lower Horseshoe Canyon Formation. It is believed that these dinosaurs roamed well-vegetated areas for food sources. |
When & Where
The first Anodontosaurus fossils were collected in 1916 from the upper area of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation by the American-Canadian paleontologist, Charles Mortram Sternberg. The remains were said to be dating from the latest Campanian era to the mid-Maastrichtian era of the Late Cretaceous period. It was then named by Sternberg in 1928 Anodontosaurus which came from an ancient Greek word that means “toothless lizard”.
Size & Weight
Anodontosaurus is a medium-sized ankylosaurian dinosaur that measures 16.4 ft (5m) in length and weighs 1814.4 kg to 2000 kg (4000 lbs to 4409 lbs).
Mobility & Diet
Based on the data shown by Anodontosaurus, the tooth structure suggests that it was a herbivorous dinosaur whose diet consists of several plant materials like leaves and vegetation.
It is assumed that this dinosaur wasn’t as aggressive as you think since they used to live and shared a habitat with Anchiceratops, Hypacrosaurus, Pachyrhinosaurus and Saurolophus.
Interesting Points
- Anodontosaurus used to live in terrestrial habitats
- There were around 13 different species discovered by paleontologists
- Fossils were discovered in 1916 in Alberta, Canada.
- This quadrupedal dinosaur has armor on most parts of the dorsal surfaces in its body. Its armored tail has a wide and pointed tail club at the end. The fossils collected show that the skull has small polygonal plates of bone on its cranium and is located in the rear of its eye (postocular caputegulae).