The size of Ankylosaurus magniventris

Had not planned for anky to be involved in this series, however a recent discussion prompted me to make this, so why not eh?

Ankylosaurus; Fused lizard

We all know this guy; He's the armored tank that even the mighty tyrannosaurus wouldn't dare to touch. The impregnatable body armor, coupled with the club on its tail made it the prehistoric equivalent of an armored truck. But, was it truly as big as it has been portrayed for years?

The short answer: No.

Here, let me show you..

The largest known skull measures 64.5 centimeters (25 in) long and 74.5 cm (29 in) wide. Using earlier ankylosaurs as a template, and once more using the "eigths rule"

2,1 x 8 yields ~16.8 feet(5.12 meters)

a 5 meter long ankylosaur cannot, and indeed will not weigh 6 tons - the weight usually associated with this species.

Ken Carpenter apparently saw the problematic estimations surrounding Ankylosaurus, for in 2004, he re-described Anky at 6.25 meters long and 3-4 tons.

Here it is shown at modern estimations, the largest skull being the model for this scale.

It even seems the defensive prowess of Anky is being called into question these days, A 2009 study showed that "large tail knobs could generate sufficient force to break bone during impacts, but average and small knobs could not", and that "tail swinging behavior is feasible in ankylosaurids, but it remains unknown whether the tail was used for interspecific defense, intraspecific combat, or both"

Conclusion: Ankylosaurus is just another victim of media hype; its size and prowess as an aggressive herbivore being flaunted suggestively before our eyes for decades, but now i present you a very different beast. A beast that, no doubt, is still a very cool animal...and one of my childhood favorites.

Do note that while digging around for anky, i found various other species to cover that were hyped by the media, but were much different in life. this series is gonna be a long one..