GASTONIA (DINOSAUR)

'''Gastonia''' was a Polacanthine ankylosaur from Early Cretaceous North America, 125 million years ago. Closely related to ''Polacanthus'' it has a sacral shield and large shoulder spikes. It is also the first Polacanthine dinosaur to have been mounted for display, at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, together with the related ''Gargoyleosaurus''.
This dinosaur was found in the same quarry as ''Utahraptor''.

Contents

Discovery and species

Popular Culture

References

Discovery and species

Named by James Kirkland in 1998 from material recovered in Grand County Utah, more complete material exists for ''Gastonia'' than for any other Polacanthine ankylosaur. Unfortunately, a wealth of disarticulated material from a bonebed presents problems as it can be hard to tell how many spikes a particular ''Gastonia'' actually had. ''Gastonia'' was named after Robert Gaston.
''Gastonia'' Species

★ ''G. burgei'' (type)

Popular Culture

''Gastonia'' is featured in an episode of Paleoworld where it is presented as the most heavily armored dinosaur.
''Gastonia'' is featured in a chapter of ''Raptor Red'', Robert T. Bakker's fictional account of the events in the life of a female ''Utahraptor''. Defense behaviors are described as various predators attempt to make lunch out of ''Gastonia''.

References

★ The Armored Dinosaurs, Gaston RW, Scellenbach J, Kirkland JI, , , Indiana University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-253-33964-2

★ The Armored Dinosaurs, Blows WT, , , Indiana University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-253-33964-2