The dinosaurs with hardened armor, resembling small tanks, are called ankylosaurs. Various ankylosaurs combined to form a unique group within the dinosaur family called the Ankylosauridae, which in taxonomy belongs to the class Reptilia, order Ornithischia, suborder Ankylosaurida. Ankylosauridae are a relatively late-appearing group in the dinosaur family, only emerging at the end of the Jurassic period.
I. Gaston Dragon
Recently, a peculiar early ankylosaur was discovered in Utah, in the western United States. These ankylosaurs lived 125 million years ago. Named Gastonosaurus, they were over 5 meters long and weighed between 1 and 2 tons.
Gaston Dragon
Gastonosaurus had thick legs and a low-slung body that hugged the ground. This body structure clearly prevented it from running fast. Its entire upper body was covered in hard bony plates and spikes, with the tall spikes on its neck reaching over ten centimeters in length. Such heavy armor would indeed deter most predators.
So, could Gastonosaurus have simply ignored the greedy carnivorous dinosaurs around it and lived a carefree life? Of course not, because in that era, many carnivorous dinosaurs constantly threatened the safety of other animals. A ferocious carnivorous dinosaur called Utahraptor roamed the American West at that time. They had keen eyesight, were incredibly fast, and their most formidable weapon was the long, sharp, curved claws on their innermost fingers and toes, capable of easily tearing through two- to three-centimeter-thick animal skin. Many herbivorous dinosaurs frequently became victims of these claws.
Slow-moving and sluggish-senses, Gastonosaurus naturally became a frequent target for Utahraptor. When a Utahraptor spotted a Gastonosaurus, it would pounce before the Gastonosaurus even realized it. If the Gastonosaurus didn't react quickly enough, the Utahraptor's sharp claws might have already torn through its vital parts or exposed its unprotected abdomen.
However, for Gastonosaurus, which remained vigilant throughout its feeding, walking, and other activities, Utahraptor was a different story. Gastonosaurus would often turn its back towards the attacker at the last moment before the Utahraptor pounced, protecting its vital areas and abdomen. At this point, the Utahraptor's claws were powerless against the Gastonosaurus's hard armor and long spikes. While its scimitar-like claws were sharp, they were also too long and thin, and could easily break if it got caught in the Gastonosaurus's bony spikes or armor. Utahraptor was unwilling to take such a risk. In this situation, it would simply walk away, looking for other prey or opportunities.
II. Ancestor of Ankylosaurus – Thradouosaurus
Although ankylosaurs were a group of ornithischian dinosaurs that flourished only at the end of the Jurassic period, scientists speculate that their ancestors appeared as early as the early Jurassic period.
Salad Doron
In the Early Jurassic strata of Britain, scientists discovered a medium-sized ornithischian dinosaur similar in size to a giant earthworm, named Thradusaurus. Because Thradusaurus had bony armor and spurs on its body, scientists speculate that it was the ancestor of the later heavily armored, tank-like ankylosaurs.
