Nodocephalosaurus Temporal range: Late Cretaceous,
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Nodocephalosaurus holotype SMP VP-900 (right) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Dinosauria |
Clade: | †Ornithischia |
Clade: | †Thyreophora |
Clade: | †Ankylosauria |
Family: | †Ankylosauridae |
Subfamily: | †Ankylosaurinae |
Tribe: | †Ankylosaurini |
Genus: | †Nodocephalosaurus Sullivan, 1999 |
Type species | |
†Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis Sullivan, 1999
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Nodocephalosaurus (meaning "knob headed lizard") is a monospecific genus of ankylosaurid dinosaur from New Mexico that lived during the Late Cretaceous (late Campanian to early Maastrichtian stage, 73.49 to 73.04 Ma) in what is now the De-na-zin member of the Kirtland Formation.[1][2] The type and only species, Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis, is known only from a partial skull.[1] It was named in 1999 by Robert M. Sullivan.[1] Nodocephalosaurus has an estimated length of 4.5 metres (15 feet) and weight of 1.5 tonnes (3,306 lbs).[3] It is closely related and shares similar cranial anatomy to Akainacephalus.[2]