Armored Dinosaur had a Bulletproof Vest

Many dinosaurs relied on plate armor to keep them safe from predators. But one went so far as to grow a ‘bulletproof vest’ over its plate armor. The best-preserved dinosaur fossil on record is a type of ankylosaur called a nodosaur. The nodosaur was a herbivore that grew 18 feet long and lived 110 to 112 million years ago. One of these fossils was so well preserved, scientists were able to determine the strength of its keratin plates and the bony spikes that covered them. It is estimated that the nodosaur could survive a crash with an F150 pickup that was going at speed.

Usually, only the bony spikes remained on other armored dinosaur fossils, because keratin (dead cells that form structures like hair and fingernails) doesn’t fossilize well. So when paleontologists studied armored dinosaurs in the past, they assumed the main protection came from the bony structures, which they thought might have been covered by a thin layer of keratin like a turtle shell.

In 2017, an exceptionally well-preserved fossil was discovered in a mine in Alberta, Canada. The fossil was so well preserved that researchers could analyze the color of its armor and even look into its stomach to see its last meal.

There was a keratin layer over the bones, but it was much thicker than anticipated. It was over 6 inches thick in some places. The keratin sheath over a modern cattle horn is only 0.6 inches thick. The keratin sheath would allow for flexibility and could easily be removed if it got damaged. It would be like trimming a broken nail instead of needing to heal a broken bone.

This armor could withstand much more force than predators of the time could deliver, which suggests the armor may have been used during fights between males who were vying for female mates.

This research also reveals new insight into dinosaur armor in general. It is likely that other armored dinosaurs also had thick keratin sheaths. And those with armored and weaponized faces and heads were probably using a lot more keratin than is normally modeled.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/armored-dinosaur-could-withstand-the-impact-of-a-high-speed-car-crash-thanks-to-the-bulletproof-vest-over-its-plate-armor/ar-AA1tHLFo?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=f4e5ca4b3d53413dc221ad6255622e96&ei=63