Tarchia kielanae is a species of the extinct genus Tarchia ("brain") of ankylosaurid thyreophore dinosaur, which lived in the late Cretaceous period, approximately 75 to 70 million years ago, from the Campanian to the Maastrichtian, in present-day Asia.
This dinosaur was discovered in the Barun Goyot Formation of Mongolia, and is known from a partial skeleton including skull, jaw, vertebrae, ribs, bony plates, and osteoderms. Tarchia kielanae is estimated to have been around 6 meters long and weighed around 2,5 tons.
Like other ankylosaurids, Tarchia kielanae was characterized by having a stocky, low body, covered by bony plates and spines that formed a kind of protective armor. These plates and spines were fused to the underlying bones, providing a strong defense against predators.
The head of Tarchia kielanae was relatively small, with a stout jaw and small teeth. It is believed that it fed mainly on low plants and shrubs. Its neck and tail were also strongly protected by osteoderms and spines.
Although the exact function of these defense structures is not completely clear, it is believed that they could have served to protect it against attacks by large predators or for intraspecific combat during competition for pairs or territories.
Tarchia kielanae is an interesting representative of ankylosaurids and contributes to our understanding of the diversity and evolution of these armored dinosaurs.
Approximate measurements of the Tarchia:
Scale 1:72 - 86 mm long (Complete)
Scale 1:35 - 135 mm long
