It is within the ankylosaur family. They were ornithischian herbivorous dinosaurs very common on Earth during the Cretaceous period. It was 142-65 million years ago. The new species of spiky dinosaurs appeared on the British Isle of Wight.
The newly discovered dinosaur was christened as. Vectipelta barretti. It had a “blade-shaped barbed armor.” Despite its fearsome appearance, it fed only on plants. This is detailed by researchers at the Natural History Museum who worked on the discovery.
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Ankylosaurs were large herbivores with short legs and broad, flat bodies. They are related to animals such as the stegosaurus. They were covered with large bony plates that served to defend them from predators. Over the years, twenty-nine different species of dinosaurs have been found on the Isle of Wight. They belong to various prehistoric periods. Included are two new kinds of large predatory dinosaurs discovered on the island in 2021.
According to the scientists, the fossils show that. Vectipelta barretti had different neck, back and pelvic bones. They possessed a set of armor plates more pointed than the already known Polacanthus foxii. It should be noted that the dinosaur is named after Professor Paul Barrett. He is a great authority on dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum in London.
“I am sure that any physical resemblance is purely accidental.” That’s what the British scientist said, commenting on the dinosaur’s frightening appearance. Stuart Pond, principal investigator on the project, said that the discovery of the new species would provide an important insight into the diversity of types that would have lived in the region at that time.
Distant relatives
The characteristics of the new spiky dinosaur species are particular. The specimen may be more closely related to the ankylosaurs discovered in China. These dinosaurs moved freely between Asia and Europe between 66 and 145 million years ago.
The findings have been published in the scientific journal. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. Vectipelta barretti is the first armored dinosaur of the ankylosaur family to be discovered on the Isle of Wight in 142 years.
