4.9" Ankylosaur (Polacanthus) Vertebra - Isle of Wight, England

This is a 4.9" wide Ankylosaur (Polacanthus foxii) vertebra from the Isle of Wight in England. Any British dinosaur material is pretty hard to find on the market and this is a beautiful piece. The spinous process broke free during fossilization, however the proximal ends of the transverse processes are intact. There are stress fractures through the centrum, though there is no indication of any repair to this vertebra.

An artists reconstruction of an Ankylosaur.  Image Public Domain by Mariana Ruiz
An artists reconstruction of an Ankylosaur. Image Public Domain by Mariana Ruiz


Ankylosaurs were herbivorous dinosaurs that lived during the Cretaceous (65-68 million years ago). As the evolution of Ankylosaurus progressed, they developed bony armor that covered their bodies in the form of plates, scutes and spikes, with some even developing armor on their eyelids. While their armor and bone-shattering tail club are thought to have been used for defensive purposes against predators such as Tyrannosaurus, it's possible that some of the armor on their head may have been used for display. Adult Ankylosaurs are believed to have reached up to 25 feet in length and weigh 3.3 tons!
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DETAILS
SPECIES
Polacanthus foxii
LOCATION
Brook Bay, Isle of Wight, England
FORMATION
Wessex Formation - Wealden Group
SIZE
4.9 x 3.2"
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#129359
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