Note: This story of mine is quite old, so don't judge too harshly.
Ankylosaurus magniventris
Lived: 68-66 mya, U.S.
Size: 24 feet long, weigh 4.5 tonnes, over 6 feet tall
Family: Ankylosauridae
Advantages: can break bones, is bigger
Weaknesses: slower?
Edmontonia longiceps
Lived: 76-69 mya, Canada
Size: 22 feet long, weigh 3 tonnes, 6 feet tall
Family: Nodosauridae
Advantages: low spikes that can reach ankylosaurus’ weak spots
Weaknesses: smaller, less stable
MAY THE BEST DINOSAUR WIN!
It is the Late Cretaceous period in northern USA. During a time of drought, a lone female Edmontonia lumbers through a once lush forest that was destroyed by a wildfire the day before. The Edmontonia had lost her baby in a stampeding herd of Pachyrhinosaurus during the fire. Now, she is looking for food, but few plants survived the flames. Finally, she spots a patch of vegetation unharmed by the fire. She approaches and begins feeding.
Nearby, a bad tempered Ankylosaurus wanders through the ruined trees, also looking for food. She was lucky to have survived the flames and smoke. Irritably, she growls and scares off a pair of close by dakotaraptor that were feasting on some baby edmontosaurus. Then she grunts and continues.
Soon, she spots the patch of food and moves toward it. She snorts when she sees the Edmontonia already feeding. Driven by hunger, the ankylosaur makes a couple mock charges and low bellowing sounds at the nodosaur. The Edmontonia looks up and snorts at the ankylosaurus, wishing it would leave. The ankylosaur charges and uses her horns to butt the Edmontonia in the head. The nodosaur snorts angrily and tries to impale the ankylosaurus, but the latter backs up, lashing her tail ferociously. She turns and swings her tail, driving back her rival.
The Edmontonia is beginning to get irritant as well. She bellows at the ankylosaur and paces back and forth, preparing for her larger enemy to attack. The ankylosaurus advances, swinging her tail and snorting furiously. The Edmontonia points one of her spikes at the ankylosaur and prepares to defend herself. The ankylosaurus tries to club the nodosaur with her tail, but the edmontonia dodges. The ankylosaur’s rival charges at the former’s flank. The ankylosaurus sidesteps and slams into the nodosaur, making sure to evade her spikes. The edmontonia gets shoved into a tree, and the scorched trunk breaks and collapses on the nodosaur, who throws it off herself. The brawl continues.
The two thyreophorans circle each other, each waiting for the other to strike. The ankylosaurus lashes its tail, enraged, and charges. She lashes out with her tail and hits the edmontonia’s hip. The nodosaur stumbles, and the ankylosaur takes the opportunity to get a direct hit on the edmontonia’s shoulder, cracking the latter’s shoulder plate. The edmontonia groans in pain and uses the little strength she has left to slam into the ankylosaurus’ armor with her shoulder spike, breaking off an osteoderm and damaging the layer of collagen fiber. The ankylosaurus slams against the nodosaur and swings her tail again, this time only damaging a few of the edmontonia’s osteoderms.
The edmontonia backs up, groaning in pain. The ankylosaurus sees this as a submission and begins mvoing toward the patch of vegetation. But the nodosaur is really preparing to charge. The edmontonia bellows and advances. The ankylosaurus turns to defend but it’s too late. The edmontonia severely injures the ankylosaur impaling her in the shoulder, breaking an artery. The ankylosaurus collapses as groans in pain and swings her tail, breaking another osteoderm. The nodosaur finishes the fight with a stab to stomach. The ankylosaurus convulses and goes limp, never to see the light of another day.
One hour later, the nodosaurus finishes the plants and moves on, leaving the dead body of the ankylosaurus behind to be scavenged upon by dakotaraptor. The edmontonia though has a broken leg and may not survive the drought…
Edmontonia wins: 6/10
