Amtosaurus is a type of dinosaur that lived a long time ago during the Late Cretaceous period, specifically around 70 to 100 million years ago. This dinosaur is part of the Ornithischia group, which means it was one of the plant-eating dinosaurs.
The first fossils of Amtosaurus were discovered in Mongolia by a group called the Soviet-Mongolian Paleontological Expedition in 1975. They found skull fragments that were thought to belong to a family of dinosaurs called ankylosaurs, known for their armored bodies.
The scientific name for the main species of Amtosaurus is Amtosaurus magnus. The name “magnus” means “large” in Latin, highlighting that this dinosaur was a big creature.
Later, another species named A. archibaldi was discovered in Uzbekistan. This species had features that clearly identified it as part of the ankylosaur family. As more studies were done, scientists found that Amtosaurus magnus did not have clear characteristics that fit it into a specific dinosaur group. Because of this uncertainty, it was classified as an “indeterminate ornithischian,” meaning it was hard to tell exactly where it fit among dinosaurs.
Over time, A. archibaldi was moved into its own category, called Bissektipelta, because it had distinct features showing it belonged to the ankylosaurs.
In summary, while Amtosaurus is an interesting dinosaur from the Cretaceous, much about it remains unclear, and it is connected to the broader family of armored dinosaurs.