What is Nodosauridae?

The largest clade including Nodosaurus textilis but not Ankylosaurus magniventris. Along with Ankylosauridae and Polacanthidae, Nodosauridae was one of the three ugly sisters known collectively as Ankylosauria. Unfortunately, Polacanthidae did a Cinderella and couldn't go to the ball, instead being demoted to a "sub family" with the suffix "inae" and forced to do the nodosaurid chores. Nodosauridae was erected by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1890 and anchored on the dinosaur called Nodosaurus, although Cedarpelta is the earliest known member.

Like all ankylosaurs, nodosaurs are wide and low slung with four relatively short legs, an armoured neck, back and flanks, and small teeth. Compared to the heavyweight ankylosaurids, nodosaurids have a somewhat domed skull and lack a clubbed tail, but some have spikes jutting from their shoulders and necks. A long, thin snout suggests they were selective foragers unlike their wide-skulled relatives, and bony "cheek" plates combined with tooth wear on known specimens suggests they chewed their food rather than swallow it whole and rely on gastroliths for processing in the gut.

Nodosaur fossils have been discovered in Antarctica, North America, Asia, Australia and Europe.

Click here to search the database for Nodosaurs. Nodosauridae is derived from the Latin "nodus" (knob, node), and the Greek "sauros" (lizard) and "idae" (denoting a family).