Silvisaurus

Sil-ve-sore-us.
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Claire Morris

Marine Paleontologist

Claire Morris has dedicated her career to exploring the depths of prehistoric oceans. Her fascination with ancient marine life has led her to discover significant fossils that illuminate the evolution of early sea creatures.

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Name

Silvisaurus ‭(‬Woodland lizard‭)‬.

Phonetic

Sil-ve-sore-us.

Named By

Theodore H.‭ ‬Eaton Jr‭ ‬-‭ ‬1960.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Ornithischia,‭ ‬Thyreophora,‭ ‬Ankylosauria,‭ ‬Nodosauridae.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

S.‭ ‬condrayi‭

Size

Skull‭ ‬25‭ ‬centimetres long.‭ ‬Body estimated to be about‭ ‬4‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

USA,‭ ‬Kansas‭ ‬-‭ ‬Dakota Formation.

Time Period

Albian to‭ ‬Cenomanian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial post cranial skeleton,‭ ‬skull and mandible.

In Depth

       Silvisaurus is to date only known by a partial skeleton,‭ ‬and this is in a poor state of preservation that was weathered and trampled by cattle for a long time before it was discovered.‭ ‬Despite the poor state of preservation,‭ ‬Silvisaurus is considered to have been a primitive form of nodosaur that maybe more closely related to Pawpawsaurus,‭ ‬Sauropelta and Cedarpelta.‭ ‬Like all other nodosaurs,‭ ‬Silvisaurus would have been a quadrupedal low browsing dinosaur heavily armoured with spines and bony armour along its back and sides.‭ ‬The skull of Silvisaurus has large openings which may have been passages for resonating loud vocalisations.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A new armored dinosaur from the Cretaceous of Kansas. – ‬Theodore H.‭ ‬Eaton Jr‭ ‬-‭ ‬1960.

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