by Victoria Arbour (Contributor), David Evans (Contributor)
This remarkably well-preserved ankylosaur was recently discovered in 2014 and identified by Royal Ontario Museum paleontologists as a new species, and now they can’t help but wonder: what was life like for Zuul?
Seventy-six million years ago this 6-metre-long, 2.5-ton, plant-eating ankylosaur, covered in body armour from its head down to its menacing tail club, roamed the Earth. Today, Zuul is one of the most complete skeletons of its kind ever found. While its body armour and spiked tail club tell an evolutionary story of protection and survival against threatening predators, the fossilized plants and animals – including turtles, crocodiles, and leaves that were also found with Zuul – shed new light on the Cretaceous environment it inhabited.
Zuul: Life of an Armoured Dinosaur takes you on a journey into Zuul’s world; from its discovery in 2014 and the fascinating research being done to further our understanding of these powerful animals, to Zuul’s life in the lush Cretaceous period 76 million years ago, where its body armour and tail club were crucial for defense.