Tatankacephalus is an extinct type of dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous period, about 108.5 million years ago. This dinosaur belonged to a group known as nodosaurids, which were part of the larger ankylosaur family, famous for their armored bodies.
Tatankacephalus was about 7 meters long, roughly the size of a small bus. Its fossils were discovered in the Cloverly Formation, located in central Montana, USA. The dinosaur was named by William L. Parsons and Kirsten Parsons in 2009. The name “Tatankacephalus” comes from the Oglala word “tatanka,” which means bison, and the Greek word “kephale,” meaning head. This name highlights its rounded head shape.
The species name, Tatankacephalus cooneyorum, honors the family of a man named John Patrick Cooney. The main fossil, called the holotype, includes a partial skull that is about 32 centimeters long, along with some ribs and other bones. Notably, the teeth were mostly missing, but one tooth was found. This dinosaur had a domed head with round eye sockets and a noticeable ridge on the back of its head.
Scientists believe that Tatankacephalus had features that were similar to other early ankylosaurs. It still had teeth at the front of its upper jaw, which later ankylosaurs lost. Researchers found that it was closely related to another dinosaur called Gastonia.
Overall, Tatankacephalus gives us valuable information about how dinosaurs evolved and adapted to their environments during the Cretaceous period.