A Detailed and Accurate Zuul Scale Drawing
As Everything Dinosaur prepares for the arrival of the new Safari Ltd prehistoric animal models and Dino Dana figures we have been finalising our Zuul scale drawing in readiness for adding this diagram to our armoured dinosaur fact sheet.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Zuul crurivastator
Zuul (Z. crurivastator), was formally named and scientifically described in 2017 (Arbour and Evans). The fossil specimen, which is nearly complete was discovered in Judith River Formation sandstone sediments. The fossil material was purchased by the Royal Ontario Museum (Canada), and the Zuul specimen is on public display.
The genus name honours a fictional ghoul from the 1984 movie “Ghostbusters”. The research team, were reminded of the monster “Zuul the Gatekeeper of Gozer”, when studying the dinosaur’s prominent horns and ridges on the exquisitely preserved skull.
The species name translates as “destroyer of shins” a reference to the defensive tail club, that was preserved. Zuul remains the only member of the Ankylosaurinae to be known from a complete skull and tail club.
A recent research paper suggested that the tail club was used during intraspecific combat. Although tail clubs were probably used to deter predators, damaged osteoderms on the Zuul specimen suggested that these large herbivores indulged in ritual combat behaviours, perhaps over territory or in fights over mates.
To read Everything Dinosaur’s article about this study: Tail Clubs for Social Dominance.
Zuul Scale Drawing
Zuul is estimated to have measured around six metres in length and to have weighed around 2,500 kilograms.
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“We intend to send out a Zuul fact sheet with every model of Zuul we sell. We are committed to helping educate and inform. For the vast majority of the prehistoric animal models and figures we supply we include a fact sheet on that animal.“
To view the range of Wild Safari Prehistoric World models available from Everything Dinosaur: Armoured Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animal Models (Wild Safari).