Borealopelta markmitchelli

† Borealopelta markmitchelli was an Early Cretaceous nodosaurid ankylosaur from the Clearwater Formation of Alberta, Canada. Discovered by miners in 2011, this herbivore is preserved in extraordinary three-dimensional detail including skin, scales, and pigmentation evidence suggesting reddish-brown countershading camouflage. It is one of the best-preserved dinosaur specimens ever found.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivore

Borealopelta markmitchelli was a plant-eating dinosaur. Herbivores typically fed on ferns, cycads, conifers, and other vegetation available during their era. Many herbivorous dinosaurs developed specialized teeth and digestive systems for processing tough plant material.

Time Period

Cretaceous Early Mesozoic Era

Borealopelta markmitchelli lived during the Cretaceous Early period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 145.0 to 100.5 million years ago.

The Cretaceous saw continued dinosaur evolution with the rise of ornithopods and early ceratopsians. Flowering plants first appeared and began to transform terrestrial ecosystems. Spinosaurus and other large theropods lived during this time.