28 Days Of Dinosauria - 20

[swordznsorcery]

Day 20: When I was a kid, I had a little plastic toy Polacanthus foxii. It was one of my favourites. The current models don't look much like mine did back then! One of the great things about science is how it moves forward, but it doesn't do to get too attached to a particular image of a dinosaur, because even ten years can see them completely reimagined, let alone thirty-plus years.

An ankylosaur, Polacanthus was originally found on the Isle of Wight (further specimens have since been found elsewhere in Europe). It dates from the early Cretaceous period, around 125 million years ago, and although not many specimens are known, we do know that it was armour-plated, as were all the ankylosaurs, and had some spikes as well for good measure. It would have been an herbivorous quadruped, probably about five metres long, slow-moving, and very well defended against predators. It probably wasn't invulnerable, but it can't have made for easy eating!

Comments

[corvidology]

Ah, so it's been a life long love. :D

[thisbluespirit]

Oh, you know what - I think as a child I climbed around on a model of one of those! I can almost feel the flat bobbly bit and then those spikes. Where would that have been? That amusement place on the Isle of White maybe? They had different 'lands' and there was a dinosaur land with big models made out of, I don't know, soem sort of tough plastic or something? We went there twice.

ETA: *reads your post properly* Ah, so it was even a native if so, then! (I don't think they all were!)

[dimity_blue]

Awww, it's rather cute! Like a cross between a rhino and a porcupine.