Acanthopholis (ah-kan-THOF-o-liss) meaning “spiny scales”, referring to the dinosaur’s armor (Greek akantha = spine/thorn + pholis = scale) was a genus of dinosaur in the family Nodosauridae. It lived during the Cretaceous period, and was anywhere from 10 to 18 feet long. It was discovered in England in 1867, and was named by Thomas H. Huxley. The armor consisted of oval plates set into the skin, with spikes protruding from the neck and shoulder area, along the spine.
A partial find of braincase and some postcranial elements was discovered in England in the Lower Chalk Formation in 1867, and was named Acanthopholis horrida by Thomas H. Huxley.
History[]
Description[]
The armour of Acanthopholis consisted of oval keeled plates set almost horizontally into the skin, with long spikes protruding from the neck and shoulder area, along the spine. Acanthopholis was quadrupedal and herbivorous. Its size has been estimated to be in the range of 3 to 5.5 meters (10 to 18 ft) long and approximately 380 kilograms (840 lbs) in weight.
Classification[]
Acanthopholis was originally assigned to the Scelidosauridae by Huxley.[2] In 1902 Nopcsa created a separate family Acanthopholididae. Later, he named Acanthopholinae as a subfamily. In 1928, he corrected Acanthopholididae to Acanthopholidae. Today Acanthopholis is considered a member of the Nodosauridae within the Ankylosauria.
Gallery[]
Acanthopholis/Gallery
