Ankylosaur Tooth | Judith River Formation | Montana

Ankylosaur sp.
Late Cretaceous (~74 MYO)
Judith River Formation
Montana, USA

Specimen approx. size: 9mm x 8mm

Comes in an 1.25" acrylic case

This Ankylosaur tooth is a rare find of phenomenal quality. The enamel is in excellent condition and the crown shows minimal signs of wear.

Ankylosaurs were herbivorous dinosaurs that lived during the Cretaceous. They were bulky quadrupeds with short, powerful legs. Ankylosaurs could reach 30 feet in length, 6 feet in width, 4 feet in height, and weigh as much as 4 tons. They evolved bony osteoderms that functioned as protective armor for their bodies. This armor developed in the form of plates, scutes, and spikes that covered their bodies. Some even developed armor on their eyelids. Ankylosaurs also wielded a massive tail club which could shatter bone. They utilized their armor and tail club as defensive mechanisms against predators like Tyrannosaurs. The only way predators could harm Ankylosaurs would be for them to target the vulnerable underbelly of the Ankylosaur, which lacked any protective armor.

It is worth noting that despite their massive size, these dinosaurs had relatively small teeth. Their teeth were insufficient to crush plant matter, so they likely used their teeth to strip leaves from branches. The digestive process of fermentation was then used to break down this plant material in their guts.