Borealopelta fossil map
Where fossils of Borealopelta have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 115 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 115 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Stegosaurs & ankylosaurs |
|---|---|
| Lived | 121.4–113.2 million years ago (Aptian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Family | Nodosauridae |
| Named by | Brown et al. 2017 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Canada |
| Rock formations | Clearwater |
About Borealopelta
Borealopelta (meaning 'northern shield') is an extinct genus of herbivorous nodosaurid ankylosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of what is today Alberta, Canada. It contains a single species, B. markmitchelli, named in 2017 by Caleb Brown and colleagues from a well-preserved specimen known as the Suncor nodosaur. Discovered at an oil sands mine north of Fort McMurray, Alberta, the specimen is remarkable for being among the best-preserved dinosaur fossils of its size ever found. It preserved not only the armor (osteoderms) in their life positions, but also remains of their keratin sheaths, overlying skin, and stomach contents from the animal's last meal. Melanosomes were also found that indicate the animal had a reddish pinkish skin tone.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Borealopelta (revision 1378543697), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in.
