Hungarosaurus

Hun-gar-o-sore-us.
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Nisha Yadav

Physicist

Nisha Yadav is a dedicated physicist whose work bridges the gap between physics and paleontology. With a deep interest in the processes that preserve ancient life, she explores how physical principles govern fossilization and the preservation of extinct species.

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Name

Hungarosaurus ‭(‬Hungary lizard‭).

Phonetic

Hun-gar-o-sore-us.

Named By

A.‭ ‬Osi‭ ‬-‭ ‬2005.

Classification

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

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

H.‭ ‬tormai‭

Size

Estimated about‭ ‬4‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

Hungary-‭ ‬Csehbanya Formation.

Time Period

Santonian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Collected remains of‭ ‬4‭ ‬individuals.

In Depth

       Several hundred bones from an estimated four individuals have been attributed to this genus,‭ ‬and together they make up the best represented European genus of nodosaurid dinosaur.‭ ‬Like its nodosaurid relatives,‭ ‬Hungarosaurus was an armoured quadrupedal dinosaur that would have browsed upon low growing vegetation.‭ ‬The armour would have been an arrangement of bony plates called osteoderms‭ (‬also called scutes‭) ‬that would have connected together to form a tough covering across the back and flanks of the body.‭ ‬As a nodosaurid however,‭ ‬Hungarosaurus probably lacked a bony club on the end of it tail,‭ ‬which is‭ ‬a‭ ‬common feature seen in ankylosaurids,‭ ‬another group of armoured dinosaurs very closely related‭ (‬and probably descended from‭) ‬to the nodosaurids.‭

       Study of the fossil bearing formation that Hungarosaurus has been discovered in indicates that this genus lived in a low lying floodplain,‭ ‬an area where the rich fertile soil would allow for the growth of a readily available supply of low growing vegetation.‭ ‬The fact that the remains of four individuals were found close together may indicate that Hungarosaurus,‭ ‬and possibly other nodosaurids,‭ ‬lived in groups.‭ ‬An alternative is that the four may have drowned and been washed together during a flood,‭ ‬something quite likely given the floodplain ecosystem where they seem to have lived,‭ ‬however this does not adequately disprove the group living theory in its entirety.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Hungarosaurus tormai,‭ ‬a new ankylosaur‭ (‬Dinosauria‭) ‬from the Upper Cretaceous of Hungary. – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology ’25 (2): 370-383. – Atilla Ősi ‬-‭ ‬2005. – Sympatry of two ankylosaurs (Hungarosaurus and cf. Struthiosaurus) in the Santonian of Hungary. – Cretaceous Research 44: 58-63. – Atilla Ősi, & E. Prondvai – 2013.

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