Comparing an Indominus Rex and an Ankylosaurus

The Key Differences Between an Indominus Rex vs Ankylosaurus

The main differences between an Indominus Rex and Ankylosaurus include their morphology and food preferences. The Indominus Rex was a bipedal carnivorous dinosaur that was 20ft tall with thick legs, long arms, a massive head, and grayish-white skin, and the Ankylosaurus was a quadrupedal herbivorous dinosaur that stood about 7ft with bony plates covering the top of its body, protruding from its flanks, and fused into a club at the end of its long tail. These two dinosaurs looked very different, and they preferred to feed on different things compared to one another. However, they do have a few differences that are worth exploring.

Indominus Rex vs Ankylosaurus: Size

Indominus Rex was taller and longer than Ankylosaurus, but the latter may have weighed more. The Ankylosaurus weighed between 11,000lbs and 18,000lbs, stood 5.6ft at the hip and about 7ft tall overall, and measured up to 33ft long, including its tail. However, Indominus Rex weighed 16,000lbs, stood 21ft tall, and was poised to grow 50ft long before it met its unfortunate end.

Indominus Rex vs Ankylosaurus: Morphology

The Indominus Rex is known for its similarities to the T-Rex, including its general body shape, large head, massive teeth, and long tail. However, the Indominus rex was an improved version of its genetic model, featuring an even larger head than the T-Rex as well as long arms capable of grasping objects. Moreover, this dinosaur had grayish-white skin that could be used to camouflage the dinosaur, as well as horns above its eyes. The Ankylosaurus was a large, thick, and somewhat short dinosaur known for having osteoderms and bony plates covering its back, head, and flanks. Moreover, the dinosaur had a long tail that ended in a bony club.

Indominus Rex vs Ankylosaurus: Era

The Ankylosaurus was one of the last large dinosaurs to roam the earth. It’s believed that it lived between 70 million years ago and 66 million years ago, the Cretaceous Age that saw the asteroid impact, which killed off the dinosaurs. This dinosaur lived alongside T-Rex, triceratops, and others until it was wiped out. The Indominus Rex was fictionally conceived in 2012, and the only one died in 2015.

Indominus Rex vs Ankylosaurus: Food Preferences

The Indominus Rex was a powerful carnivore, but the Ankylosaurus was probably exclusively herbivorous. The Ankylosaurus most likely ate soft plants and fruits, using its tongue and beak to select foods to eat.

Indominus Rex vs Ankylosaurus: Defenses

The Ankylosaurus had tremendous defenses that would have kept it safe from most dinosaur attacks. They have bony plates called osteoderms that essentially formed armor on their backs, heads, and flanks. The plates on the flanks were sharp and pointed outward, preventing creatures from attacking from the side without taking damage. The Ankylosaurus also had a large bony club on its tail that may have been a decoy head or a weapon with which to attack its predators. The Indominus Rex relies on its massive size, speed, and intelligence to ward off threats. The dinosaur also has osteoderms in its flesh, but not to the extent of the Ankylosaurus and certainly not fused together as plates. Yet, the Indominus Rex could also camouflage itself due to its unique skin and the DNA it shares with other reptiles, like frogs and cuttlefish.   This dinosaur took on small arms fire like it was nothing, but it could not stand up to the Mosasaurus.

Indominus Rex vs Ankylosaurus: Attacking Methods

The Indominus Rex was a more powerful, deadlier variant of the T-Rex. Its most significant offensive power was found in its bite. The creature possessed crocodile-like teeth to grab and hold prey rather than the teeth that T-Rex had to remove prey’s flesh. The Indominus Rex probably had a stronger bite, too. The dinosaur could also grasp creatures with its arms or simply stomp on them. The Ankylosaurus could have charged and rammed enemies to death. However, the more likely attacking method available to this animal could be found in its large tail club. It probably swung and hit enemies with this bony ball, causing severe damage.

Indominus Rex vs Ankylosaurus: Who Would Win in a Fight?

The Indominus Rex would win a fight against Ankylosaurus if they fought. The Ankylosaurus had incredible armor, but the Indominus Rex had incredible levels of intelligence that would help it identify the other dinosaur’s weakness and exploit it. Using its arms, feet, or bite, the Indominus Rex would flip the Ankylosaurus and kill it. The Indominus Rex is a fictional dinosaur that integrated some of the protective qualities of the real Ankylosaurus. They are still very different creatures, especially in terms of their attacks, food preferences, and body type.  Even though the first Indominus Rex died off, the dinosaur could make a return in the future installments of the Jurassic World series.