Stagonolepis

Stagonolepis (live reconstruction)

  • Europe ( Scotland)

Stagonolepis ( "drop - Scale " ) is an extinct genus of Aetosaurier from the Upper Triassic. His remains were found in Scotland.

Features

The whole 2.7 m to 3 m long body is enveloped by a large tank of heavy bony plates that are anchored in the skin. Even the strong tail is armored. The legs are short and stocky. The head is in proportion to the body with 23 cm relatively small. The jaws are shortened and toothless in the front part, back from the position peg-like teeth. The snout is blunt, curved slightly upwards and is vaguely reminiscent of a pig's snout.

Paleobiology

The peg-like teeth have Stagonolepis than herbivores. It is believed that the mighty hull a prolonged intestinal offered space, which was necessary for the digestion of fibrous plant foods, such as horsetails, ferns and cycads only recently arisen. The shape of his nose would be particularly well suited for the search for food in the ground. Therefore, it is suspected that the animal has thus dug for edible tubers and roots. His heavy armor is an important defense mechanism to protect against Rauisuchiern, the most common predators of his era.

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