[1] In 2000, Robert Gabbard, member of a team headed by Philip John Currie, found an ankylosaur skull in the Gobi Desert near Hermiin Tsav at the Baruungoyot.

[2] Later that year, however, it was validly named as the type species Zaraapelta nomadis by Arbour, Currie and, posthumously, the female Mongolian paleontologist Demchig Badamgarav.

Zaraapelta differs from all other Ankylosauria in the possession of a squamosal horn with a very smooth bone texture along the upper cutting edge, abruptly changing into a rough surface at the inner and the outer side; and in the presence of an intricate pattern of a large number of osteoderms behind the eye socket.

It might thus in principle be possible that Zaraapelta simply represents an old Tarchia individual in which this osteoderm has shifted on top of the squamosal horn, creating the strange double-layered structure.

There is a sharp cutting edge on top of the horn, bordered by smooth strips; these abruptly change into deeper rugose areas, so that rims are present on both sides.

The cheek area between these large horns, behind the eye socket, is filled by flat osteoderms, separated by deep grooves, creating a delicate "dried mud" pattern.

Tsagantegia Saichania Tarchia kielanae Zaraapelta Dyoplosaurus Talarurus Nodocephalosaurus Ziapelta Zuul Anodontosaurus lambei Scolosaurus Ankylosaurus Euoplocephalus

Crichtonpelta Akainacephalus Ziapelta Zaraapelta Talarurus Tsagantegia Minotaurasaurus Tarchia teresae Scolosaurus Dyoplosaurus Euoplocephalus Zuul Anodontosaurus lambei Ankylosaurus