Gastonia

Gas-toe-nee-ah.
Published on

Nisha Yadav

Physicist

Nisha Yadav is a dedicated physicist whose work bridges the gap between physics and paleontology. With a deep interest in the processes that preserve ancient life, she explores how physical principles govern fossilization and the preservation of extinct species.

Cite Feedback Print

Name

Gastonia (Gaston's thing).

Phonetic

Gas-toe-nee-ah.

Named By

James Kirkland - 1998

Classification

Chordata, Reptilia, Dinosauria, Ornithischia, Thyreophora, Ankylosauria, Ankylosauridae, Polacanthinae.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

G. burgei

Size

5 meters long.

Known locations

USA, Utah - Cedar Mountain Formation.

Time Period

Barremian to Albian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Almost complete skeleton and skulls.

In Depth

       Like Polacanthus, Gastonia was a low browsing armoured dinosaur, but unlike Polacanthus however it is very well preserved. In fact Gastonia is the best preserved member of its group and this has allowed for what are considered more accurate reconstructions of other lesser known species.

       It’s quite possible that one of the main threats to Gastonia was the dromaeosaurid Utahraptor, which was also active at the time and location. The impressive spikes on Gastonia’s back would have made it exceedingly difficult for a predator to jump on its side or back. Gastonia may have also used its spiked tail to lash at predators, inflicting deep cuts to their flanks with its tail spines.

       Gastonia is named after Robert Gaston, who discovered the remains.

Further Reading

– A polacanthine ankylosaur (Ornithischia: Dinosauria) from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian) of eastern Utah. Lower and Middle Cretaceous Terrestrial Ecosystems (S. G. Lucas, J. I. Kirkland, & J. W. Estep, eds.). – New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 14:271-281. – J. I. Kirkland – 1998. – Redescription of Gastonia burgei (Dinosauria: Ankylosauria, Polacanthidae), and description of a new species. – Neues Jahrbuch f�r Geologie und Pal�ontologie – Abhandlungen. 282 (1): 37–80. – B. Kinneer, K. Carpenter & A. Shaw – 2016.

Never Miss a New Species or Fossil Discovery!

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

Megalodon illustration