Talarurus

Talarurus was a medium-sized ankylosaur that roamed prehistoric Mongolia during the early Late Cretaceous. Discovered in the Bayan Shireh Formation of the Gobi Desert, several disarticulated skeletons have been collected, revealing much about its anatomy. Growing between four and a half to five and a half metres in length, Talarurus was an early representative of the club-tailed ankylosaurines. Its tail ended in a fused bony knob, supported by interlocking vertebrae that gave rise to its scientific name, meaning wickerwork tail. Its broad, low skull had blunt pyramidal horns, while its torso was sheathed in transverse bands of keeled osteoderms. Talarurus lived in an environment crisscrossed by rivers and lakes, using its broad muzzle to graze upon a variety of low-growing plants.

It is one of the earliest known ankylosaurs to possess a fully developed tail club.

Where and when

Talarurus lived in the Late Cretaceous, from 96 to 89 million years ago (Cenomanian-Turonian age). Its remains come from Mongolia, in the Bayan Shireh Formation.

The numbers

Length 5 m (estimates run from 4.5 to 5.5 m). Mass about 1.9 t. Hip height about 1.4 m. That is 2.9 human-lengths, or 0.45 of a double-decker bus. These are estimates from partial skeleton; fields marked estimated by the site are length, mass, first ma, last ma, hip height.

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