Struthiosaurus
Struthiosaurus was a small armoured dinosaur that lived on islands in Europe. It had bony plates on its back for protection and ate plants. Scientists think it was a dwarf ankylosaur because it was much smaller than its relatives.21
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Fun facts
Struthiosaurus had very poor hearing and relied mostly on its armour for defence.1
It was one of the smallest armoured dinosaurs, only about 2 to 3 metres long.1
Struthiosaurus lived on islands in Europe during the Late Cretaceous, which may have made it a dwarf species.2
Its name means 'ostrich lizard' because the first skull piece found looked bird-like.1
Scientists think Struthiosaurus was a slow and solitary animal.1
Three valid species of Struthiosaurus are known: S. austriacus, S. transylvanicus, and S. languedocensis.1
Most asked questions about Struthiosaurus
?How big was Struthiosaurus?
It was a small dinosaur, about 2 to 3 metres long and weighed 300 to 400 kg.12
?What did Struthiosaurus eat?
It was a herbivore, meaning it ate plants.2
?When did Struthiosaurus live?
It lived during the Late Cretaceous period, about 83 to 75 million years ago.2
?Where was Struthiosaurus found?
Fossils have been found in Austria, France, Romania, Spain, and possibly Hungary.12
?Why did Struthiosaurus have poor hearing?
Scientists think it had limited hearing because its cochlear duct was the shortest of any dinosaur known. It relied mostly on its armour for defence.3
?Was Struthiosaurus a dwarf dinosaur?
Yes, scientists think it was a dwarf ankylosaur because it was much smaller than its relatives and lived on islands.2
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Myth buster
Myth: Some people think Struthiosaurus was a giant dinosaur.
Truth: It was actually one of the smallest armoured dinosaurs, only 2 to 3 metres long.1
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Struthiosaurus
- Named by
- Bunzel 18704
- Group
- Armoured dinos
- Family / clade
- Nodosauridae4
- Classification
- Ornithischia > Ankylosauria > Nodosauridae > Thyreophora4
- Age of the rocks
- 84 to 66 million years (Campanian / Maastrichtian)4
- Rock formations
- GrΓΌnbach, SebeΕ, RΓ’ul Mare4
- Countries
- Romania, Austria, Spain, France4
- Fossil records
- 23 in the Paleobiology Database4
- Also known as
- Crataeomus, Danubiosaurus, Leipsanosaurus, Pleuropeltus (older names now counted as the same animal)4
- Discovery
- The first fossils were found in 1859 in a coal mine in Austria by geologist Eduard Suess. The dinosaur was named Struthiosaurus by Emanuel Bunzel in 1871.1
- Still debated
- Scientists still debate whether Struthiosaurus was one of the most primitive nodosaurids or more advanced.1
Where the facts come from
- Struthiosaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
- Struthiosaurus | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
- Neuroanatomy of the nodosaurid Struthiosaurus austriacus (Dinosauria: Thyreophora) supports potential ecological differentiations within Ankylosauria | Scientific Reports (nature.com)
- Struthiosaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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