Saichania
Saichania chulsanensis
Pronounced:
sye - Chan -
ee - uh
Diet:
Herbivore
(plant-eater)
Name Means:
"Beautiful"
Length:
23 ft. (7
meters)
Height:
6 ft. (2
meters)
Weight:
2 tons
(1,800
kilos)
Time:
Late
Cretaceous -
80 MYA
Fossil
remains
for this
Dinosaur
have
been
found in
Asia
Saichania was a
large, armored
dinosaur that
lived in Asia.
It was a member
of the same
family as
Ankylosaurus and
had a thick,
heavy, bony club
on the end of
its tail. This
would have made
a fierce weapon
against any
attacker.
Armored
dinosaurs ate
low-growing
plants and
probably lived
in small groups.
The head, neck,
back, and tail
of Saichania
were covered
with thick, bony
plates called
scutes. Some of
these had short
spikes pointing
upwards which
would have made
it very
difficult to
attack this
animal from
above. With its
tail club and
scutes, it would
have been almost
impossible for
any predator to
attack an adult
Saichania.
Armored
dinosaurs almost
identical to
these can be
seen briefly in
Jurassic Park 3.
Saichania was
found as a
fairly complete
skeleton and it
shows some
unusual traits.
Unlike any other
known dinosaur
or reptile, it
had a nasal
cavity that was
divided into
right and left
sides. The
fossil of
Saichania also
has clearly
developed
turbinates, a
bony circular
tube found in
mammals and
other
warm-blooded
animals used to
warm the air
breathed in
through the
nose. This is
evidence that
this dinosaur
was
warm-blooded.
Turbinates have
also been found
in T. rex. |
