Ziapelta sanjuanensis

† Ziapelta sanjuanensis is a Late Cretaceous ankylosaurid from the Kirtland Formation of New Mexico, USA. Named for the Zia sun symbol of New Mexico, this club-tailed ankylosaur adds to the Late Cretaceous fauna of the American Southwest.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivore

Ziapelta sanjuanensis was a plant-eating dinosaur. Herbivores typically fed on ferns, cycads, conifers, and other vegetation available during their era. Many herbivorous dinosaurs developed specialized teeth and digestive systems for processing tough plant material.

Time Period

Cretaceous Late Mesozoic Era

Ziapelta sanjuanensis lived during the Cretaceous Late period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 100.5 to 66.0 million years ago.

The final age of dinosaurs, featuring iconic species like Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and Velociraptor. Dinosaurs reached their peak diversity before the catastrophic asteroid impact at the Chicxulub crater ended the Mesozoic Era.