Borealopelta

What it was like

Borealopelta was a heavily armored plant eater that grew to about 5.5 meters (18 feet) long. Rows of bony plates called osteoderms covered its neck, back, and tail, with larger spikes along its shoulders.

One fossil of Borealopelta is so well preserved that it still shows the actual armor, skin, and even the pattern of coloring from the animal's life. Traces of pigment suggest it was reddish brown on top and paler underneath, a pattern that may have helped it blend into its surroundings.

Its world

Borealopelta lived from about 121 to 113 million years ago, during the Early Cretaceous, in what is now Alberta, Canada. Its only known fossil comes from the Clearwater Formation.

The remains also preserved contents from the animal's last meal, giving researchers a rare direct look at what this plant eater had been feeding on shortly before it died.

How it was found

Brown and colleagues named Borealopelta in 2017, based on a single remarkably complete specimen. It is one of the best preserved armored dinosaurs ever found, and its closest relatives include Edmontonia, Nodosaurus, and Sauropelta, all members of the nodosaur family.