Europelta

Phylogeny: Dinosauria > Ornithischia > Genasauria > Thyreophora > Thyreophoroidea > Eurypoda > Ankylosauria > Euankylosauria > Nodosauridae > Struthiosaurini

Overview: Europelta has a fairly straightforward name, meaning “European shield”. Its fossils come exclusively from Europe and its body, like those of all other ankylosaurs, was heavily armored. The genus was established as a new taxon in 2013, based on holotype material found two years prior in the Teruel Province of Spain. In total, the fossils of two separate specimens were recorded, making up a large majority of the animal’s skeleton, which is one of the more completely known out of all of Europe’s ankylosaurs. Europelta is known from the Escucha Formation, so it’s estimated to have lived in the Early Cretaceous, about one hundred and thirteen million years ago. It inhabited what was then a humid and lush coastal region, with landscapes made up of wetlands and lagoons. The ornithopod genus Proa and fossils of some unnamed dinosaurs are also known from the Escucha.

Scientists classify Europelta as a member of the ankylosaur family Nodosauridae. These creatures lacked the bony clubs seen on the tails of ankylosaurid ankylosaurs, but often made up for it with large spines on their necks, shoulders and sides. Such dermal armor can be seen on Europelta itself, giving it a passive defense against predators. Nodosaurids tended to have narrower snouts, which is observable on Europelta, suggesting a more selective diet than that of the more wide-muzzled ankylosaurids. There are a few different subgroups within the Nodosauridae, one of them being a tribe called the Struthiosaurini, mainly found in Europe. Europelta is believed to have belonged to it. With a length of five or so meters, it would’ve been the largest member of this lineage, as most other struthiosaurins, including Struthiosaurus itself, were fairly small as far as ankylosaurs go.