Hoplitosaurus

• USA (South Dakota)

• Hoplitosaurus marshi (Lucas, 1901)

Hoplitosaurus is a little-known genus of dinosaur bird Beck from the group of Ankylosauria.

Features

So far, only a few ribs, vertebrae, parts of the limbs and some bone plates have been found, including long spines of Hoplitosaurus. His physique is likely to have complied with that of the other Ankylar: the hull was broad and stocky and the limbs short and strong. The body was covered with an armor of bony plates, in addition were the bony spines - possibly on the flanks of the animals - yet. The skull is not known how all Ankylar likely to have this dinosaur fed on plants.

Discovery and designation

The sparse fossil remains were discovered by Hoplitosaurus end of the 19th century in the U.S. state of South Dakota and in 1901 first described. The name derives from the hoplites, a Greek soldierly, from. Only species and therefore type species is H. marshi. The finds are dated in the lower Cretaceous ( Barremian ) at an age 131-126 million years ago.

System

The presumption was very early established, this dinosaur was closely related to Polacanthus, who lived at the same time in Europe, sometimes the two genera were even considered as synonymous. The similarities are mainly in the construction of the bone plates and spines, although Hoplitosaurus not have the grown-together, shield -like armor over the pelvis, which is typical for Polacanthus.

Accordingly, this dinosaur is often classified in the group of Polacanthidae or Polacanthinae which is very controversial. Other nomenclatures see the remains of Hoplitosaurus as too sparse for an accurate classification and run it as " incertae sedis Ankylosauria ".