Polacanthus

dinosaur · armored · Cretaceous · England

Covered in armor. Polacanthus had its entire body protected by hard plates and sharp spikes, kind of like wearing an indestructible suit of medieval armor.

Modest-sized dino. This dinosaur was only about 4 to 5 meters long, which means it was smaller than many other dinosaurs but still bigger than most animals alive today.

Ancient English creature. Polacanthus lived in England during the early Cretaceous period, making it one of the dinosaurs that roamed what is now the British Isles.

Mysterious fossil. We don't have very complete fossil remains of Polacanthus, especially its skull, so scientists are still figuring out exactly how it looked and what kind of dinosaur it really was.

Different family debate. Scientists think Polacanthus might belong to the Nodosauridae family of armored dinosaurs, or it could be part of its own special family called Polacanthidae.