Nodosaurus textilis is an extinct species of ankylosaur dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous Period, approximately 110 million years ago, in what is now North America. It is one of the first ankylosaurs to be scientifically described and is characterized by its robust and heavily armored body.
The body of Nodosaurus textilis was short and long, with an estimated length of approximately 5 to 6 meters. Its weight is estimated at around 1 to 2 tons. Like all ankylosaurs, Nodosaurus had a body covered in bony armor composed of osteoderms, bony plates embedded in its skin that provided it with excellent defense against predators. However, unlike other, better-known ankylosaurs, such as Ankylosaurus, Nodosaurus did not possess a club on its tail.
Its skull was relatively small compared to its body, and its mouth ended in a wide, toothless beak, suitable for cutting low vegetation, which constituted its main diet. This herbivore probably fed on ferns, cycads and coniferous plants, using its beak to tear off vegetation and its leaf-like teeth to crush plants before ingesting them.
The limbs of Nodosaurus were strong and robust, adapted to support the weight of its armoured body as it moved slowly through its habitat. Its front legs were slightly shorter than its hind legs, giving it a forward-leaning posture.
The discovery of Nodosaurus textilis was made in the Dakota Formation, a fossil-rich region in the United States, and its description was published by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1889. Although the available fossil material is fragmentary, it has provided important insights into the morphology and defensive adaptations of early ankylosaurs.
Approximate measurements of the Nodosaurus:
The body of Nodosaurus textilis was short and long, with an estimated length of approximately 5 to 6 meters. Its weight is estimated at around 1 to 2 tons. Like all ankylosaurs, Nodosaurus had a body covered in bony armor composed of osteoderms, bony plates embedded in its skin that provided it with excellent defense against predators. However, unlike other, better-known ankylosaurs, such as Ankylosaurus, Nodosaurus did not possess a club on its tail.
Its skull was relatively small compared to its body, and its mouth ended in a wide, toothless beak, suitable for cutting low vegetation, which constituted its main diet. This herbivore probably fed on ferns, cycads and coniferous plants, using its beak to tear off vegetation and its leaf-like teeth to crush plants before ingesting them.
The limbs of Nodosaurus were strong and robust, adapted to support the weight of its armoured body as it moved slowly through its habitat. Its front legs were slightly shorter than its hind legs, giving it a forward-leaning posture.
The discovery of Nodosaurus textilis was made in the Dakota Formation, a fossil-rich region in the United States, and its description was published by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1889. Although the available fossil material is fragmentary, it has provided important insights into the morphology and defensive adaptations of early ankylosaurs.
Approximate measurements of the Nodosaurus:
- 1:72 scale Complete
- Length 69 mm
- Height 25 mm
- Width 62 mm
- Snout-tail length 81 mm
- 1:35 scale Complete
- Length 141 mm
- Height 50 mm
- Width 62 mm
- Snout-tail length 165 mm
