Polacanthus Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Polacanthus Temporal range: Lower Cretaceous

Armour of Polacanthus foxii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Sauropsida
Superorder:	Dinosauria
Order:	Ornithischia
Suborder:	Thyreophora
Infraorder:	Ankylosauria
Family:	Ankylosauridae
Subfamily:	Polacanthinae
Genus:	Polacanthus Owen vide Anonymous, 1865

A possible look for Polacanthus foxii, based on a dinosaur called Gastonia

Polacanthus was a type of dinosaur that lived a very long time ago, during the Lower Cretaceous period. This was about 132 to 100 million years ago! Imagine a dinosaur covered in armour and spikes, eating only plants – that was Polacanthus. Its name even means "many spines," which makes sense because of all its spiky protection.

Scientists have found fossils of Polacanthus in England. Some paleontologists (dinosaur scientists) think that Polacanthus might be the same kind of dinosaur as Hylaeosaurus. Both are types of ankylosaurids, which are known for their strong body armor.

What Polacanthus Looked Like

Polacanthus was a medium-sized dinosaur. It grew to be about 12 feet (4 meters) long, which is roughly the length of a small car. It stood about 4.8 feet (1.5 meters) tall, which is taller than most grown-ups!

This dinosaur was a bulky animal that walked on all four legs. It had many rows of bony spikes and plates covering its body. These spikes were like natural armor, helping to protect it from predators. Sadly, scientists have not yet found a complete head for Polacanthus. This means we don't know exactly what its head looked like.