Dinosaur of the Day - Edmontonia
Edmonton in Canada is one of the few cities with two dinosaurs named after it--the duck-billed herbivore Edmontosaurus and the armored nodosaur (a type of ankylosaur) Edmontonia. However, you should bear in mind that Edmontonia was named after the "Edmonton Formation" where it was found; there's no evidence that it actually lived in the environs of Edmonton itself.
Edmontonia was a formidable plant-eater, with its bulky, low-slung body, armored plating along its back, and--most intimidatingly--the sharp spikes jutting out from its shoulders, which may have been used to deter predators or to fight other males for the right to mate. Some paleontologists also think Edmontonia was capable of producing honking sounds, which would truly have made it the SUV of ankylosaurs.
Read more about dinosaurs like Edmontonia: Ankylosaurs - The Armored Dinosaurs
Illustration: Wikimedia Commons
Comments
Wouldn’t the raptors have been ideally suited for attacking the slower and dumber ankylosaurs? I envision them as oversized, spikey turtles. It would still be a dangerous activity, but the nimbler, more intelligent raptors could circle the animal, staying out of tail range and looking for weakness, dash in and administer a kick to the belly (careful of those spikes!).Retreat and repeat. If the ankylosaur is healthy and alert, go find something easier. A pair of raptors (or a pack?) working in concert would be better. Or am I allowing the raptor too much intelligence?