Euoplocephalus fossil map
Where fossils of Euoplocephalus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 75 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 75 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Stegosaurs & ankylosaurs |
|---|---|
| Lived | 83.6–66 million years ago (Campanian to Maastrichtian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Family | Ankylosauridae |
| Named by | Lambe 1910 |
| Fossil records | 18 occurrences at 16 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Canada, United States, China |
| Rock formations | Dinosaur Park, Judith River, Two Medicine, Horseshoe Canyon, St. Mary River, Bearpaw Shale |
About Euoplocephalus
Euoplocephalus ( yoo-OP-loh-SEF-ə-ləs) is a genus of large herbivorous ankylosaurid dinosaurs, living during the Late Cretaceous of Canada. It has only one named species, Euoplocephalus tutus.
The first fossil of Euoplocephalus was found in 1897 in Alberta. In 1902, it was named Stereocephalus, but that name had already been given to an insect, so it was changed in 1910. Later, many more ankylosaurid remains were found from the Campanian of North America and often made separate genera. In 1971, Walter Coombs concluded that they all belonged to Euoplocephalus, which then make it one of the best-known dinosaurs. Recently, however, experts have come to the opposite conclusion, limiting the authentic finds of Euoplocephalus to about a dozen specimens. These include a number of almost complete skeletons, so nevertheless much is known about the build of the animal.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Euoplocephalus (revision 1377846331), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in.
