At a Glance
- Researchers discovered 100-million-year-old three-toed ankylosaur footprints in the Canadian Rockies, identifying a new species named Ruopodosaurus clava previously unknown to science.
- Unlike most ankylosaurs with four toes, Ruopodosaurus clava’s distinct tracks challenge past assumptions and expand understanding of dinosaur diversity during the Cretaceous period.
- The new footprints suggest that armored, tail-clubbed ankylosaurids coexisted with four-toed nodosaurids in North America despite a previously believed fossil gap.
- Paleontologist Dr. Victoria Arbour and her team estimate the dinosaur measured 5 to 6 meters long and possibly featured a stiff or clubbed tail.
- This discovery emphasizes the scientific value of northeastern British Columbia’s Peace Region and the importance of protecting fossil-rich areas for future study.
In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have identified ancient footprints of a new species of armored dinosaurs, or ankylosaurs, in the Canadian Rockies. These footprints, found around Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, and northwestern Alberta, date back around 100 million years, during the Cretaceous period. The newly identified species, Ruopodosaurus clava, is notable for its three-toed footprints, which set it apart from other ankylosaurs that typically have four toes. This is the first time three-toed ankylosaur footprints have been found, making this discovery a significant addition to our understanding of dinosaur species in North America.
Ankylosaurs are a group of herbivorous dinosaurs known for their thick, bony armor and distinctive tail clubs used for defense. The two main groups of ankylosaurs are the nodosaurids, which have flexible tails and four toes, and the ankylosaurids, which feature tail clubs and three toes. The footprints of R. clava were found in the same region as the more commonly known ankylosaur tracks of Tetrapodosaurus borealis. However, these new tracks indicate that a different type of ankylosaur was also present during this time. The discovery challenges the idea that ankylosaurids disappeared from North America during a gap in the fossil record from about 100 to 84 million years ago.
The team behind the discovery, including Dr. Victoria Arbour, a paleontologist at the Royal BC Museum, used their expertise to identify and interpret the tracks. Dr. Arbour, alongside collaborators from the Tumbler Ridge Museum and UNESCO Global Geopark, examined these three-toed tracks in detail and concluded that Ruopodosaurus was about 5 to 6 meters long, with a stiff tail or a whole tail club. This discovery confirms that both types of ankylosaurs—the armored, tail-clubbed ankylosaurids and the four-toed nodosaurids—coexisted in the same region during the middle of the Cretaceous period.
The find also highlights the importance of the Peace Region in northeastern British Columbia for understanding the evolution of dinosaurs in North America. Although the Ruopodosaurus tracks are unique to this region, the discovery suggests that there is much more to learn about the diverse dinosaur species that once roamed what is now Canada. This study adds to our knowledge of ancient life in North America and underscores the significance of preserving fossil sites for future research.
References
Taylor & Francis. (2025, April 14). Footprints of tail-clubbed armored dinosaurs found for the first time. Phys.Org; Taylor & Francis. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-footprints-tail-clubbed-armored-dinosaurs.html
Arbour, V. M., Lockley, M. G., Drysdale, E., Rule, R., & Helm, C. W. (2025). A new thyreophoran ichnotaxon from British Columbia, Canada confirms the presence of ankylosaurid dinosaurs in the mid Cretaceous of North America. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, e2451319. https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2025.2451319
