結節龍科演化支由保羅·塞里諾(Paul Sereno)在1998年定義為:在甲龍亞目中,所有親緣關係接近胄甲龍,而離甲龍較遠的物種,這個定義由Vickaryous、Maryanska、以及大衛·威顯穆沛(David B. Weishampel)等人的2004年研究中所沿用。Vickaryous等人認為節結龍科有兩屬應為未確定位置屬:厚甲龍、活堡龍,並認為本科中最原始的物種為雪松甲龍[5]。
^ 3.03.1Burns, Michael E. Taxonomic utility of ankylosaur (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) osteoderms: Glyptodontopelta mimus Ford, 2000: a test case. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 2008, 28 (4): 1102–1109.
^Carpenter, Kenneth; Bartlett, Jeff; Bird, John; and Barrick, Reese. Ankylosaurs from the Price River Quarries, Cedar Mountain Formation (Lower Cretaceous), east-central Utah. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 2008, 28 (4): 1089–1101.引文使用过时参数coauthors (帮助)
^Vickaryous, M. K., Maryanska, T., and Weishampel, D. B. (2004). Chapter Seventeen: Ankylosauria. in The Dinosauria (2nd edition), Weishampel, D. B., Dodson, P., and Osmólska, H., editors. University of California Press.
Carpenter, K. (2001). "Phylogenetic analysis of the Ankylosauria." In Carpenter, K., (ed.) 2001: The Armored Dinosaurs. Indiana University Press, Bloomington & Indianapolis, 2001, pp. xv-526
Osi, Attila (2005). Hungarosaurus tormai, a new ankylosaur (Dinosauria) from the Upper Cretaceous of Hungary. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 25(2):370-383, June 2003.