Gastonia

Filed under Cretaceous dinosaurs · Types of Dinosaurs editorial team

Order: Ornithischia · Suborder: Thyreophora · Infraorder: Ankylosauria · Family: Polacanthidae (family not firmly confirmed)

Gastonia was a heavily armoured herbivorous dinosaur that roamed what is now Utah during the Early Cretaceous period. Named after Robert Gaston, this plant-eating reptile reached approximately 15 feet in length and belonged to the Polacanthidae family. Like other ankylosaurs, Gastonia was covered in protective bony plates and featured rows of large, blade-like spikes running along its sides, creating formidable defences against contemporary predators.

Unlike the club-tailed ankylosaurs that emerged later, Gastonia lacked a tail club but compensated with its dense armour plating and prominent shoulder spikes that would have made it an exceptionally difficult target for any carnivorous threat. The combination of these defensive adaptations allowed the animal to forage for vegetation with substantial protection from attack.

Gastonia is known from numerous fossil specimens discovered in Early Cretaceous deposits, making it one of the better-understood armoured dinosaurs from its time and region. These multiple finds have provided paleontologists with valuable insights into the anatomy and biology of nodosaurid-like ankylosaurs during the Early Cretaceous.

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Reference background: Natural History Museum, London — Dinosaurs; Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Dinosaurs; American Museum of Natural History — Dinosaurs & Fossils. Figures are typical published ranges; taxonomy follows the source era and modern consensus is noted where it differs. See our sources & fact-check policy.

Related dinosaurs

Other dinosaurs from the Polacanthidae family.