Unveiling the Power of Prehistoric Armor: How a 110-Million-Year-Old Nodosaur Fossil Survived Impacts Like a Pickup Truck

In 2011, when tar sands were mined at Suncor’s Millennium Mine in Alberta, Canada, a well-preserved Lower Cretaceous nodosaur fossil was found, which has since been named. Markmitchelli of Borealope. The fossil, which is about 110 million years old, is in such good condition that paleontologists can use it to reveal information about the life of these herbivorous dinosaurs.

A stable weapon

Michael Habib from the University of California, Los Angeles, who is an expert on the biomechanics of fossil animals, and his colleagues conducted a detailed study of the aforementioned fossil boreal pelt “weapon”. The body here was about 5.5 meters long and 1.3 tons of nodosaur protected by bony armor and keratin plates. Habib’s team analyzed their strength and then estimated how well they defended. The results are amazing. According to the paleontologist, the boreal pelt seems to withstand being hit by a fast pickup truck, such as a rugged Ford F-150.

Scientists initially thought that armored dinosaurs, such as nodosaurs or stegosaurs, were protected by bony armor, which was covered only by a thin layer of keratin. A turtle shell, for example, is constructed in the same way. But Habib and his colleagues found that the layer of keratin that covered the bony armor of the boreal pelt was almost 16 centimeters thick in places.

The researchers compared the data found in the boreal pelt with modern armored animals, such as the porcupine. They made artificial boreal pelt armor and tested its durability. Through these comparisons and tests, they discovered that the boreal pelt could withstand an impact with an energy of more than 125 thousand joules per square meter, roughly equivalent to the impact of a pickup truck.. According to Habib, nodosaurs only had plate armor. They had plate armor on top and a highly effective bulletproof suit.