Polacanthus
| Polacanthus Temporal range: Early Cretaceous,
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| Pelvis, sacrum, and associated armour of Polacanthus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | †Ornithischia |
| Clade: | †Thyreophora |
| Clade: | †Ankylosauria |
| Family: | †Nodosauridae |
| Subfamily: | †Polacanthinae |
| Genus: | †Polacanthus Owen vide Anonymous, 1865 |
| Type species | |
| †Polacanthus foxii Owen vide Anonymous, 1865
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| Synonyms | |
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Polacanthus (from the Ancient Greek polys-/πολύς- "many" and akantha/ἄκανθα "thorn" or "prickle") is an extinct genus of ankylosaurian dinosaurs from the early Cretaceous (130–125 million years ago) of England. Several species have been named in the genus Polacanthus, but only the type species, Polacanthus foxii, is currently seen as valid. There are not many fossil remains of this dinosaur, and some important anatomical features, such as its skull, are poorly known. It grew to about 4–5 metres (13–16 ft) long. Its body was covered with armour plates and spikes. It may be a basal member of the Nodosauridae or part of a separate family, the Polacanthidae.