Iguanodon Thumb Spike Replica

$20.00

Later fossils of Iguanodon revealed the true nature of the thumb spikes, although their exact function is still debated. They could have been used for defense, or for foraging for food.

Description

Iguanodon Thumb Spike Replica is of museum quality and cast in durable polyurethane resins. Iguanodon Thumb Spike replica measures 5 inches and is made in USA. Genus Iguanodon. Our precise thumb spike can be used as a teaching tool, museum thumb exhibit, home décor, or office décor.

This Iguanodon thumb spike is a sharp defensive weapon attached to the thumb of the plant-eating Iguanodon dinosaur against large carnivores of Cretaceous Europe – North Dakota.

Iguanodon, (genus Iguanodon), large herbivorous dinosaurs found as fossils from the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous periods (161.2 million to 99.6 million years ago) in a wide area of Europe, North Africa, North America, Australia, and Asia; a few have been found from Late Cretaceous deposits of Europe and southern Africa.

Iguanodon or Iguanodon bernissartensis, early Cretaceous dinosaur. A massive herbivore with a horny beak and cheek teeth for grinding vegetation. Its hands had distinctive hoofed fingers and spiked thumbs.

Iguanodon were bulky herbivores that could shift from bipedality to quadrupedality. The only well-supported species, I. bernissartensis, is estimated to have weighed about 3.4 tons on average, and measured about 33 feet long as an adult, with some specimens possibly as long as 43 feet. These animals had large, tall but narrow skulls, with toothless beaks probably covered with keratin, and teeth like those of iguanas, but much larger and more closely packed.

The arms of I. bernissartensis were long and robust, with rather inflexible hands built so that the three central fingers could bear weight. The thumbs were conical spikes that stuck out away from the three main digits. In early restorations, the spike was placed on the animal’s nose.

Later fossils of Iguanodon or Iguanodon bernissartensis revealed the true nature of the thumb spikes, although their exact function is still debated. They could have been used for defense, or for foraging for food. The little finger was elongated and dexterous, and could have been used to manipulate objects.

Scientific understanding of Iguanodon Iguanodon bernissartensis has evolved over time as new information has been obtained from fossils. The numerous specimens of this genus, including nearly complete skeletons from two well-known bone beds, have allowed researchers to make informed hypotheses regarding many aspects of the living animal, including feeding, movement, and social behavior.

As one of the first scientifically well-known dinosaurs, Iguanodon has occupied a small but notable place in the public’s perception of dinosaurs.

Shop More Museum Quality Dinosaur Claws in Dinosaur Claw Store

Additional information

Weight 1.8 lbs
Dimensions 5 in
Iguanodon Facts

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Order: †Ornithischia
Suborder: †Ornithopoda
Family: †Iguanodontidae
Genus: †Iguanodon
Type species: †Iguanodon bernissartensis