Edmontonia

Filed under Cretaceous dinosaurs · Types of Dinosaurs editorial team

Order: Ornithischia · Suborder: Thyreophora · Infraorder: Ankylosauria · Family: Nodosauridae

Edmontonia was a large armoured dinosaur that roamed the coastal lowlands of North America during the Late Cretaceous period. Named after the Edmonton Formation where its fossils were discovered, this herbivore measured between 20 and 23 feet in length. As a member of the nodosaurid family, Edmontonia was built for defence rather than speed, with its entire body protected by rows of bony plates embedded in its skin. Most distinctive were its prominent shoulder spikes, which pointed forward and were subdivided into smaller points, giving the animal a formidable appearance along its upper body.

The shoulder spikes and heavy armour likely served dual purposes in Edmontonia's survival strategy. These features would have provided substantial protection against large predators of the era, while also potentially playing a role in contests between rival individuals competing for resources or mates. Unlike some of its ankylosaur relatives, Edmontonia lacked a club-like tail; instead, it depended on its robust plating and spiked shoulders as its primary defensive weapons. As a low browser, Edmontonia spent its time feeding on vegetation close to the ground throughout the lowland environments of its time, relying on its formidable protective features to deter threats while it foraged.

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Reference background: Natural History Museum, London — Dinosaurs; Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Dinosaurs; American Museum of Natural History — Dinosaurs & Fossils. Figures are typical published ranges; taxonomy follows the source era and modern consensus is noted where it differs. See our sources & fact-check policy.

Related dinosaurs

Other dinosaurs from the Nodosauridae family.