In Depth
Texasetes was the first armoured nodosaurid dinosaur to be named from the Paw Paw Formation of Texas. However a year later a second genus of nodosaur called Pawpawsaurus was named, though only represented by a skull. There has now been suggestions that these two are the same genus, and if proven true, then the Pawpawsaurus fossil material, a skull, will become attributed to Texasetes since that genus was named first.
Like other nodosaurs, Texasetes would have been a quadrupedal dinosaur protected by thick bony plates and spikes that ran across its back and sides. Because of this armour, Texasetes would have been relatively slow yet quite resilient to attack from theropod dinosaurs such as dromaeosaurs. In the past there has been speculation that Texasetes may actually be a very primitive ankylosaur.
Further Reading
- A nodosaurid ankylosaur (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) from the Lower Cretaceous of Texas., W. P. Coombs - 1995. - A new nodosaurid ankylosaur (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) from the Paw Paw Formation (Late Albian) of Texas., Y. -N. lee - 1996.
