Gastonia Heavily Armoured Dinosaur

Fossils of Gastonia (G. burgei) were discovered in the same quarry as that of the predator Utahraptor.  This member of the Polacanthidae group of armoured dinosaurs is known from one almost complete skeleton, including dermal armour and a number of skull fragments.  Measuring around five metres in length, this dinosaur represented a formidable opponent should any meat-eating dinosaur fancy taking it on.  It had several types of armour on its back, tail and flanks.  Pairs of large curved spines ran along the neck and the shoulders.  Wide, broad plates stuck out sideways from the tail and a “saddle of dermal armour” stretched across the hips.  Even the skull was heavily armoured.

A Model of the Armoured Dinosaur Known as Gastonia

Gastonia model (Collecta).

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Gastonia

It seems likely that most meat-eaters, no matter how hungry left this “walking Medieval mace” of a dinosaur well alone.

To view the range of armoured dinosaur models and other prehistoric animals currently in stock at Everything Dinosaur: Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Models.