Fun Planicoxa Facts For Kids

Planicoxa is a genus of advanced iguanodontian dinosaurs from the initial Cretaceous period of North America, according to the partial bones of several individual specimens that can be found in museums around the world. Their remains were found by DiCroce and Carpenter in eastern Utah in 2001, revealing that they belonged to the type species of Planicoxa venenica. The cedar formation in Grand County, where the fossils of the Planicoxa were discovered, created a smooth and linear surface of ilium produced by the horizontal folding of the posterior acetabulum process. The well-preserved ilium differentiates this taxon from other ornithopods. The discovery of the P. venenica species linked significant knowledge to the Barremian-Albian fauna of Cedar Mountain, USA. It came from the material that Charles called C. depressus. The material was collected from the Lakota Formation around South Dakota, revealing an odd flat ilium bone formed by the horizontal posterior acetabular process.

The second new ornithopod species, P. depressa (Camptosaurus depressus), differs from the first one because the ilium in this species is not arched. It was only recognized from some vertebrae and two ilia bones. The secluded bones known from the Lakota Formation belonged to this species. Once that discovery was made, the Planicoxa was designated to its own genus. Carpenter and Wilson did the reconstruction of the second species. The standard classification of both species is as follows: Dinosauria (Clade), Ornithischia (Order), Genasauria (Clade), Neornithischia (Clade), Cerapoda (Clade), Ornithopoda (Clade), Iguanodontia (Clade), Dryomorpha (Clade), Ankylopollexia (Clade), and Styracosterna (Clade).

To know more about other dinosaur species, you can also check out Brontosauruses and Orodromeus.

How do you pronounce Planicoxa? 

The pronunciation of Planicoxa is 'Plan-e-coks-ah.'

What type of dinosaur was a Planicoxa? 

Planicoxa is a genus of various advanced Camptosaurus dinosaurs that lived in the early Cretaceous Period of North America. There are two species in the genus- the old Planicoxa venenica and the new ornithopod species Planicoxa depressus (previously called Camptosaurus depressus). The discovery of the first species of camptosaurus, Ornithopoda Dinosauria, was done by DiCroce and Carpenter.

What geological period did the Planicoxa roam the earth in?

The geological period during which the Planicoxa lived on the earth was the Barremian of the Cretaceous Period, alongside other dinosaurs. The two species of camptosaurus ornithopoda dinosauria called P. venenica and the new species P. depressa of the genus Planicoxa were founded by DiCroce and Carpenter.

When did the Planicoxa become extinct?

Planicoxa dinosaurs existed in the Barremian age of the Crustaceous Period up until about 113 million years ago.

Where did a Planicoxa live? 

The Planicoxa species lived in the Early Cretaceous of eastern Utah, North America, identified from incomplete skeletons of numerous specific specimens. Its type species is Planicoxa venenica of the genus Planicoxa, first defined by two scientists - Tony DiCroce and Kenneth Carpenter, 2001. The discovery of the species' fossils was made in the Poison Strip Sandstone Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation in Grand County, eastern Utah, USA. A second new species, known as P. depressa, was discovered by Kenneth Carpenter and Wilson in the year 2008 from remains and material previously named C. depressus by the scientist Charles Gilmore.

What was a Planicoxa's habitat? 

Planicoxa animals lived in a terrestrial habitat. The habitat and horizon where the remains were found were near Moab, Grand County, astern Utah, USA (DiCroce & K carpenter 2001 ); Cedar Mountain Formation, Aptian.

Who did a Planicoxa live with?

Whether Planicoxa used to live alone, in pairs or groups is unknown. The Planicoxa lifestyle remains unclear; however, who knows what the future of research will reveal about these fascinating dinosaurs.

How long did a Planicoxa live?

The estimated Mesozoic vertebrate life span of the Planicoxa remains unidentified.

How did they reproduce?

There is no information available relating to the reproduction rituals of Planicoxa dinosaurs. They are believed to have been egg-laying animals like snakes and saltwater crocodiles.

What did a Planicoxa look like?

This taxon was identified by its well-preserved femur, tibias, ilium, and vertebrae, alongside other materials. The femur was an example of ornithopods, but the ilium had a small horizontal acetabular kyphosis and was functionally an antitrochanter. The discovery of the species P. venenica supplemented significant data to the Barremian-Albian fauna of the Cedar Mountain strata. The second new ornithopod species, identified as Planicoxa depressa, was created by two scientists, Carpenter and Wilson, in 2008 through material previously named Camptosaurus depressus by the scientist Charles Gilmore in the year 1909. The dinosaur had an odd flat ilium made by horizontal kyphosis. It was different from P. venenica's ilium in the fact that it was not arcuate but had a more concentrated (stronger) acetabular process (the long forward protrusion of the ilium), a simpler acetabular notch (hip-socket), and a comparatively more linear Brevis shelf (the frame used to place the muscle inside the rear portion of the ilium). Some vertebrae and two ilia were used to identify the species. Iguanodon skeletons isolated from the Lakota Formation may belong to this species. In the year 2011, the species was assigned into its own genus, the Osmakasaurus.

Scientists created a Planicoxa venenica cladogram to restore the fragments of the skeleton. Bone restoration or Planicoxa cladogram of Planicoxa venenica, a member of the Barremian Aptian Poison Belt of the Cedar Mountain Formation, Utah, was done by scientists. The reconstruction was based on orthographic samples of the ilium, femur, tibia, MT-II, pedal phalanx, humerus, ulna, cervical nerve arch, cranial dorsal center, partial neural arch, coccygeal nerve arch, sacral center dorsal nerve arch, dorsal central, and center of the tail. All of these samples were found to be disarticulated and somewhat crushed on a little bone bed. Due to the separate specimen, it was not clear how many creatures the bone bed consisted of. However, it probably had at least two dinosaurs (two right tibiae were recognized, and two femurs with somewhat different lengths were identified). However, these creatures might not have been fully developed because not all vertebral sutures are fused. The Planicoxa is recognized for having a large, wide, flat shelf that grew from the posterior acetabulum of the ilium. McDonald (2011) discovered that the Planicoxa dinosaur is a 'Camptosaur-grade' Iguanodon, but Galton thinks it was a dryosaurid dinosaur. However, McDonald (2011) seems to be correct.

How many bones did a Planicoxa have?

The exact number of bones in the Planicoxa dinosaur was unknown.

How did they communicate?

No information has been published related to the communication habits of Planicoxa creatures.

How big was a Planicoxa? 

It's estimated that the length of the Planicoxa dinosaur's body was around 20 ft (6.09 m) long.

How fast could a Planicoxa move?

The running speed of Planicoxa dinosaurs was moderate.

How much did a Planicoxa weigh?

The estimated weight of the Planicoxa dinosaur is around 4.5 tons (4082.33 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

No specific names were given to the male and female P. venecia and the new P. depressa species.

What would you call a baby Planicoxa?

The baby Planicoxa was generally known as a young or juvenile dinosaur.

What did they eat? 

The Venenica Planicoxa dinosaur was a herbivore, meaning it would have lived on a diet consisting of plant materials. They lived in the early Cretaceous age. They were iguanodintids, which means spiked-thumb plant-eaters, discovered in eastern Utah by DiCroce and K carpenter in the year 2001. The first species found was the Planicoxa venenica.

How aggressive were they?

There is no information available on the aggressive behavior in the species P. venenica and the new species P. depressa.

Did you know...

Venenica Planicoxa, from the cedar mountain formation, were likely hunted by the greatest predators of their time, the Utahraptor and the giant Acanthosaurus. Small predators like Deinonychus might have also acted as a threat, mainly if the assumption that the species hunted dinosaurs in groups are correct.

How did the Planicoxa get its name?

The common name Planicoxa, meaning 'flat hip,' refers to the flat surface of the ilium created by the horizontal folding of the posterior acetabular process (the rear part of the ilium), which is the defining feature of the genus. Venenica, the specific name, means 'poison' in Latin and refers to sandstone members of the Cedar Mountain Formation, the area in which the discovery was made.

Where was the Planicoxa first found?

The remains of the first specimen of Venenica Planicoxa were found in the Cedar Mountain Formation, Grand County, Utah, USA.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Chungkingosaurus facts and Orodromeus facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Planicoxa coloring pages.

Main image by Eduard Solà.

Second image by Kumiko.

*We've been unable to source an image of Planicoxa and have used an image of Camptosaurus instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Planicoxa, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected]