Sauropelta edwardsorum, is an ankylosaur dinosaur that lived during the early Cretaceous period, approximately 112-110 million years ago. Its scientific name comes from the genus Sauropelta and the surname Edwards, in honor of the Edwards family that supported the paleontological expeditions that led to the discovery of this dinosaur.
Sauropelta was a quadruped herbivore that was characterized by its armored body structure, which protected it from predators. It had a series of bony plates that formed a kind of armor on its back and flanks, as well as sharp spines on the edges of these plates. In addition, it had a series of spines on its tail that could be used for defense.
Sauropelta's size varied, but on average it had a length of about 5.2 meters and a weight of about 1.5 tons. Although it was not as large as some of the sauropod dinosaurs of its time, its armor made it relatively invulnerable to most predators.
Sauropelta's skull was equipped with teeth suitable for chewing plants, suggesting that its diet consisted of ferns, conifers and other plants that were part of its habitat. Although its armor protected it from attacks by predators, it is believed that it was a relatively slow herbivore and that it relied on its passive defense to avoid danger.
Sauropelta fossils have been found in what is now North America, in places such as Montana and Wyoming, indicating that it had a wide geographic distribution in ancient Laramidia, a land mass in western North America during the Cretaceous Period. .
Approximate measurements of Sauropelta:
Sauropelta was a quadruped herbivore that was characterized by its armored body structure, which protected it from predators. It had a series of bony plates that formed a kind of armor on its back and flanks, as well as sharp spines on the edges of these plates. In addition, it had a series of spines on its tail that could be used for defense.
Sauropelta's size varied, but on average it had a length of about 5.2 meters and a weight of about 1.5 tons. Although it was not as large as some of the sauropod dinosaurs of its time, its armor made it relatively invulnerable to most predators.
Sauropelta's skull was equipped with teeth suitable for chewing plants, suggesting that its diet consisted of ferns, conifers and other plants that were part of its habitat. Although its armor protected it from attacks by predators, it is believed that it was a relatively slow herbivore and that it relied on its passive defense to avoid danger.
Sauropelta fossils have been found in what is now North America, in places such as Montana and Wyoming, indicating that it had a wide geographic distribution in ancient Laramidia, a land mass in western North America during the Cretaceous Period. .
Approximate measurements of Sauropelta:
- Scale 1:72 - 70 mm
- Scale 1:35 - 140 mm
- Scale 1:20 - 240 mm
