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That is a lumbering, spikey plant-eater called Polacanthus.
— Allen Johnson, about Polocanthus
in Master of the Skies

Polacanthus (name meaning "Many Spikes") is a genus of ankylosaurid dinosaur that originated during the Early Cretaceous period in what is now North America and Europe. Measuring over 4 meters long and weighing 1 ton, Polacanthus was distantly related to the much bigger Ankylosaurus, which lived much later and was much larger than Polacanthus.

In the Series 2 episode "Master of the Skies," Eight Polacanthus were rescued from Early Cretaceous, 127 million years ago, consisting of four from Europe and four from North America.

Facts[]

Era & Discovery[]

Polacanthus lived in North America and Europe during the Early Cretaceous period from 130 – 112 million years ago. Polacanthus was named after a find on the Isle of Wight in 1865.

Physical Attributes[]

Polacanthus was a small-medium sized Ankylosaur, standing about 3 feet tall, was 13 – 16 feet (4 – 5 m) long, and weighing over 1 – 2 ton (2,000 – 4,000 lbs). It was among the smallest members of the ankylosaur family.

Like Ankylosaurus, Polacanthus had armor and spikes, but like other nodosaurids, it lacked a tail club. Instead, it had additional spikes on the sides of its body armor, giving it extra reach and protection against such predators as Utahraptor and Neovenator.

Behavior & Traits[]

A lumbering, spiky plant-eater that accompanied herds of Iguanodon, Polacanthus were often found accompanying around Iguanodon herds, presumably, for mutual protection. Polacanthus also often gorged on conifers, as its teeth and digestive system being less advanced, and also to avoid competing with the Iguanodons.

When confronted by predators, Polacanthus would face them front-on (unlike the Ankylosaurus, who turned sideways instead to better use their tail club) and keep them away via its front spikes. However, like Ankylosaurs, the only place on Polocanthus that was not armored was its underside.

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