The forth trochanter of the femur is located distal to the mid-point. The fore- and hindfeet are not known for all ankylosaurid species. Figure 4 . Skeleton of Talarurus , an ankylosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia. Note the long, low body and tail club, which is quite slender in this species.
Body armor consists mostly of thin-walled scutes.
The club is actually composed of at least two very large bone plates and several smaller plates that are partially or completely fused together. Typically, the last half of the tail is fused together. Ossified tendons, much like those found in the drumstick of a turkey, also envelop the vertebrae providing additional strength. Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships Phylogenetic research in ankylosaurids is complicated by the incompleteness of most specimens. This analysis was flawed due to the use of certain characters, such as orbits facing more laterally, which are actually plesiomorphic for the group.