Ankylosaurids in Detail

This is the skeleton of ankylosaurid, Talarurus.  Much can be seen from this skeleton.  The animal's posture was very low to the ground with a very lengthy body and a bulky ribcage.  The last third of the tail vertebrae have been fused to give a rigid tail for the club.  This feature is missing from the other two families.  There is no need for fused vertebrae along the tail because they do not have a clubbed tail.  For additional support, ossified tendons encase the fused vertebrae of the ankylosaurids. The club is comprised of several bony plates fused together.  The clubs features and shape can vary from species to species.  Most of the animal’s immense weight is carried on its hind legs.  In the primitive ankylosaurids, such as Talarurus, the hind feet have four digits while in the more advanced forms, such as Euoplocephalus, there are three digits.

The following is a list of the different Genus of ankylosaurid:

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