BC Researchers Confirm Footprints of Three-Toed Dinosaur With Club-Like Tail

Published: Friday, April 18, 2025 at 3:56 pm

**BC Researchers Unearth Ancient Dinosaur Footprints, Revealing a Club-Tailed Mystery**

Get ready to step back in time! New research from British Columbia has confirmed the existence of club-tailed, armored dinosaurs, called ankylosaurid ankylosaurs, that roamed northeastern BC and Alberta around 100 million years ago. Scientists analyzed fossilized three-toed footprints discovered near Tumbler Ridge, northeast of Prince George, and in northwestern Alberta. These findings, published in the *Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology*, mark the first definitive identification of this specific type of ankylosaur in the region.

The researchers, including Victoria Arbour from the Royal BC Museum, named the new species *Ruopodosaurus clava*, meaning "tumbled-down lizard with a club." These dinosaurs, distinct from the better-known four-toed nodosaurids, were characterized by their club-like tails, bony plates, and spikes. The footprints, measuring about 30 centimeters long, suggest these dinosaurs were approximately five to six meters in length.

This discovery is significant because it confirms the presence of these club-tailed ankylosaurs in the area, even though their skeletons haven't been widely found. The research opens doors for further analysis of similar footprints found worldwide, potentially revealing more about these fascinating creatures. The study also highlights the rich prehistoric history of the Tumbler Ridge area, which, during the dinosaurs' time, was a coastal floodplain with the Rocky Mountains still forming. The environment also hosted other dinosaurs, including small- and medium-sized meat eaters, and relatives of duck-billed dinosaurs, and giant crocodiles.

Keywords: dinosaur footprints, ankylosaurid ankylosaurs, club-tailed dinosaurs, Ruopodosaurus clava, Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Alberta, paleontology, fossilized footprints, three-toed footprints, armored dinosaurs, Rocky Mountains, Royal BC Museum, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, nodosaurid, dinosaur discovery, ancient dinosaurs, dinosaur research, dinosaur fossils

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