Lurdusaurus

Phylogeny: Dinosauria > Ornithischia > Genasauria > Neornithischia > Cerapoda > Ornithopoda > Iguanodontia > Ankylopollexia > Styracosterna

Overview: Lurdusaurus lived in a hot, humid environment surrounded by a landscape of tropical foliage, winding river systems, deltas, and wetlands. This same region today, located in Niger, is a barren desert – considerably different than it was over a hundred and ten million years ago. The specific rocks that contain traces of this lost environment, as well as the bones of Lurdusaurus, is a part of the Elrhaz Formation. Other notable dinosaurs from this formation included the iguanodont Ouranosaurus, the odd sauropod Nigersaurus, and the spinosaurid Suchomimus. Fossil remains of a wide array of non-dinosaurian animals are also known, including those of fish, pterosaurs, turtles, and various crocodyliforms (more basal relatives of true crocodiles). Among the latter group was a massive genus called Sarcosuchus, which was probably the top predator in the region’s waterways.

Fossils of Lurdusaurus were first recovered from Niger in the mid-1960’s by French paleontologists, consisting of a decently complete specimen. However, it wouldn’t be properly described as its own genus until 1999. The generic name of Lurdusaurus means “heavy lizard”, which is very appropriate for this animal. Lurdusaurus grew to be about eight to nine meters in length, which alone is quite a decent size for an iguanodont of its time, but it was significantly heavier than other related taxa in this length range. The body was bulky and rotund, supported by relatively short, but strong limbs. It may’ve retained the ability to rear up on its hind legs, like other ornithopods. One notable trait of its feet was its wide-splayed toes, which made walking on wet surfaces easier. Some believe that Lurdusaurus was semi-aquatic like modern hippos, but such a lifestyle is still speculative.