An exceptionally complete and well-preserved ankylosaur fossil has been discovered in North America. The specimen bears a striking resemblance to Zuul, the creature from the film Ghostbusters.
Discovered in the Judith River Formation of Montana, USA, the ankylosaur Zuul crurivastator is represented by the most complete skeleton of its kind discovered in North America. This armoured dinosaur preserves not only a complete skeleton but also parts of the armour embedded in the skin, including scales and structures associated with spines.
Zuul crurivastator measured 6 metres in length and weighed approximately 2,500 kg, comparable to a living white rhinoceros. It bore rows of large, sharp spines on its head, back and tail, which ended in a bony club used in defence. It lived 75 million years ago during the Cretaceous. Despite its formidable appearance, it was herbivorous. This discovery will help researchers better understand these extinct animals and adds important evidence to Earth’s evolutionary history.
Sources: Royal Ontario Museum
[…] bony plates, which ran from the head to the tip of the tail. Unlike the recently discovered Zuul crurivastator, it did not have the characteristic club at the end of its tail. The armor is thought to have had a dual role, as […]