News Paleontology

Armored dinos may have used their tail clubs to bludgeon each other

Broken spikes on a fossil dinosaur’s flanks point to sparring rather than tyrannosaur bites

Two heavily armored dinosaurs swing long tail clubs at one another, crossing against the sunset on a strangely barren landscape

Zuul crurivastator (illustrated) and other armored dinosaurs may have battled for social dominance using their bony tail clubs.

© Henry Sharpe

By Jake Buehler

- More than 2 years ago

Read another version of this article at Science News Explores

Tanklike armored dinosaurs probably pummeled each other — not just predators — with huge, bony knobs attached to the ends of their tails.