Struthiosaurus
Small European nodosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous.
Struthiosaurus, whose name combines the Latin for "ostrich" and the Greek for "lizard," was a genus of nodosaurid dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous (Campanian through Maastrichtian stages). Its fossils have been found in Austria, Romania, France, and possibly Hungary. This was a relatively small dinosaur, reaching only 2 to 3 meters in length and weighing between 300 and 400 kilograms.
The first discovery came in 1859, when mine workers at a coal mine in Austria found a dinosaur tooth and brought it to the attention of geologist Eduard Suess. With help from the mine's intendant, Pawlowitsch, Suess searched for the source of the tooth. After initial failure, they found a thin marl layer in an oblique mine shaft that contained many bones. Suess and Ferdinand Stoliczka excavated the material, which was stored at the University of Vienna. It was not studied until 1870, when Emanuel Bunzel examined it. In 1871, Bunzel published a paper describing the fossils and naming several new genera and species. One was *Struthiosaurus*, based on a partial braincase. The type and only species at that time was *S. austriacus*. Bunzel provided an etymology in his 1871 publication, linking the name to the birdlike shape of the braincase; "struthio" comes from the Greek for "of the ostrich." The specific name indicates its Austrian origin.
Bunzel also described other material from the same site without realizing it belonged to *Struthiosaurus*. He assigned some bones and osteoderms to the British genera *Scelidosaurus* and *Hylaeosaurus*. He also found two puzzling rib fragments. These ribs were double-headed, but the upper head (tuberculum) was so short and positioned that it could not contact the vertebra if the rib shaft were vertical. Bunzel thought only the lower head (capitulum) connected to the vertebra, a lizard-like trait, though in lizards the rib heads are fused. He concluded the ribs came from a giant lizard, naming it *Danubiosaurus anceps* after the Danube River; "anceps" means "double-headed" in Latin. In fact, these were ribs of *Struthiosaurus*. In ankylosaurs, the flat rump causes the upper rib shaft to stick out sideways, rotating the short tuberculum toward the vertebra.
Many species have been assigned to *Struthiosaurus*, but most are based on fragmentary remains. Paleontologists currently recognize three species, though the status of *S.
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Struthiosaurus
- Type Species
- Struthiosaurus austriacus
- Type Species Authority
- Bunzel, 1871
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In 1859, mine workers at the Gute Hoffnung coal mine near Wiener Neustadt in Austria discovered a dinosaur tooth and brought it to the attention of geologist Eduard Suess. With the help of mine intendant Pawlowitsch, a thin marl layer was found containing abundant bones, excavated by Suess and Ferdinand Stoliczka. The fossils were stored at the University of Vienna until studied by Emanuel Bunzel in 1870. In 1871, Bunzel published a treatise naming Struthiosaurus based on a partial braincase, providing an etymology that linked the name to its birdlike morphology. He also described other material, including ribs he mistakenly attributed to a giant lizard he named Danubiosaurus anceps, which were later recognized as belonging to Struthiosaurus.
Three species are currently recognized, though S. languedocensis is debated and not universally accepted. Because it is known only from fragmentary material lacking a skull, comparisons of skull fusion patterns cannot be made between the species. The other valid species are S. austriacus (holotype PIWU 2349/6) and S. transylvanicus (BMNH R4966 from Romania).
Reader's Guide
Struthiosaurus is significant as one of the few nodosaurid dinosaurs known from Europe during the Late Cretaceous. Its discovery in 1859 by Eduard Suess and subsequent description by Emanuel Bunzel in 1871 provided early evidence of armored dinosaurs in the region. Bunzel's initial confusion over the braincase—which he noted was birdlike and sent to Thomas Huxley—highlights the developing understanding of dinosaur anatomy in the 19th century. The genus later became the namesake of the tribe Struthiosaurini, a group of nodosaurids restricted to Europe. Cladistic analysis suggests Struthiosaurus may be one of the most basal ankylosaurs in the clade Ankylosauria, though many features could not be coded. Examinations of its brain published in 2022 indicate very poor hearing and reliance on armor for defense, as well as a sluggish, solitary nature. The genus also includes possible egg associations with Cairanoolithus.
Did You Know?
- Struthiosaurus means 'ostrich lizard' in Neo-Latin and Greek, named for the birdlike morphology of its braincase.
- The first Struthiosaurus fossil was a tooth discovered by geologist Eduard Suess in 1859 at a coal mine in Austria.
- Bunzel initially mistook some Struthiosaurus ribs for those of a giant lizard, which he named Danubiosaurus anceps.
- Three valid species are recognized: S. austriacus, S. transylvanicus, and S. languedocensis.
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