Pinacosaurus

Pinacosaurus; Temporal range: Upper Cretaceous, 80–75 mya
	P. mephistocephalus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Dinosauria
Order:	†Ornithischia
Clade:	†Thyreophora
Suborder:	†Ankylosauria
Family:	†Ankylosauridae
Subfamily:	†Ankylosaurinae
Genus:	†Pinacosaurus; Gilmore 1933
Species
	†P. grangeri Gilmore, 1933 (type); †P.? mephistocephalus Godefroit et al., 1999;
Synonyms
	Pinacosaurus ninghsiensis; Young, 1935; Heishansaurus pachycephalus?; Bohlin, 1953; Syrmosaurus viminocaudus; Maleev, 1952;

Pinacosaurus ("plank lizard") is a genus of medium-sized ankylosaur dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia and China. It lived about 80–75 million years ago, and was first found in 1923.^[1]

Pinacosaurus had between two and five additional holes near each nostril, which have not been explained.

The animal was a medium-sized ankylosaur, about five metres long, weighing up to two tonnes. Its body was flat and low-slung but not as heavily built as in some other ankylosaurs.

Its head was protected by bone tiles, hence the name. A smooth beak bit off low-growing plants that were sliced up by rows of small teeth and then swallowed. Food was slowly processed by its enormous hind gut. Neck, back and tail were protected by osteoderms. The animal could also actively defend itself with its tail club.^[2]

References

↑ Gilmore C.W. 1933. Two new dinosaurian reptiles from Mongolia with notes on some fragmentary specimens. American Museum Novitates 679: 1–20.
↑ Hill R.V; Witmer L.W. & Norell M.A. 2003. A new specimen of Pinacosaurus grangeri (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia: ontogeny and phylogeny of Ankylosaurs. American Museum Novitates 3395: 1–29.

[1] Gilmore C.W. 1933. Two new dinosaurian reptiles from Mongolia with notes on some fragmentary specimens. American Museum Novitates 679: 1–20.

[2] Hill R.V; Witmer L.W. & Norell M.A. 2003. A new specimen of Pinacosaurus grangeri (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia: ontogeny and phylogeny of Ankylosaurs. American Museum Novitates 3395: 1–29.

[1]

[2]

Pinacosaurus Temporal range: Upper Cretaceous, 80–75 mya

P. mephistocephalus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Dinosauria
Order:	†Ornithischia
Clade:	†Thyreophora
Suborder:	†Ankylosauria
Family:	†Ankylosauridae
Subfamily:	†Ankylosaurinae
Genus:	†Pinacosaurus Gilmore 1933
Species
†P. grangeri Gilmore, 1933 (type) †P.? mephistocephalus Godefroit et al., 1999
Synonyms
Pinacosaurus ninghsiensis Young, 1935 Heishansaurus pachycephalus? Bohlin, 1953 Syrmosaurus viminocaudus Maleev, 1952

Pinacosaurus

References

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