Open Paleo

Patagopelta

Riguetti et al., 2022 pat-uh-GOH-PEL-tuh

Named after Patagonia, the region in Argentina where it was found, combined with Latin pelta (shield); meaning "Patagonian shield".

72.2–66.0 million years ago Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Patagopelta is an extinct genus of ankylosaurian dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous (upper Campanian-lower Maastrichtian) Allen Formation of Argentina. The genus contains a single species, P. cristata, known from several partial skeletons, isolated bones, and osteoderms. While originally described as a member of the family Nodosauridae, later discoveries provided support for parankylosaurian affinities. Patagopelta is a small armored dinosaur, comparable in size to the 'dwarf' nodosaurid Struthiosaurus, at about 2 m (6.6 ft) long. It is larger, more robust, and more heavily armored than other parankylosaurs such as Stegouros.

Under dispute

The placement of Patagopelta is contested. Its describers recover it as a nodosaurine nodosaurid (Riguetti and colleagues, 2022), whereas Soto-Acuña and colleagues (2024) recovered it within Parankylosauria, a result they attribute to their changes to the matrix, and Maidment and colleagues (2025) recover it as a non-eurypodan thyreophoran or an early ankylosaur, depending on the tree.

Diagnosis

  1. Femur with strongly developed muscular crests and a prominent anterior trochanter on its anterior surface
  2. Cervical half-ring bearing high-keeled lateral osteoderms with a central inflection
  3. Cervical half-ring bearing distal, spine-like osteoderms with anteriorly compressed edges
  4. Cervical half-ring osteoderms fused across their basal edges, forming a thick band with strongly sutured contacts

Species

Patagopelta cristata Riguetti et al., 2022

Type species

From Latin 'cristata' meaning 'crested', referring to the large crests on the cervical osteoderms and femur of the holotype.

Holotype
MPCA-SM 78 , Museo provincial de Cipolletti "Carlos Ameghino"
Material
A cervical half-ring element comprising fused lateral and distal osteoderms
Horizon
lower Allen Formation, Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous , 72.2–66.0 million years ago
Locality
Salitral Moreno, Río Negro, Argentina

References

  1. Riguetti, F.; Pereda-Suberbiola, X.; Ponce, D.; Salgado, L.; Apesteguía, S.; Rozadilla, S.; Arbour, V. (2022). A new small-bodied ankylosaurian dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of North Patagonia (Río Negro Province, Argentina). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 20(1). Informa UK Limited. doi:10.1080/14772019.2022.2137441

    Named Patagopelta and recovered it as a nodosaurine.

    riguetti2022b
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Ornithischians. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the appearance features.

    jones2026a
  3. Soto-Acuña, S.; Vargas, A. O.; Kaluza, J. (2024). A new look at the first dinosaur discovered in Antarctica: reappraisal of Antarctopelta oliveroi (Ankylosauria: Parankylosauria). Advances in Polar Science 35(1): 78-107. doi:10.12429/j.advps.2023.0036

    Antarctic ankylosaur reappraisal recovered Patagopelta within Parankylosauria.

    soto-acuña2024a
  4. Maidment, S. C. R.; Ouarhache, D.; Ech-charay, K.; Oussou, A.; Boumir, K.; El Khanchoufi, A.; Park, A.; Meade, L. E.; Woodruff, D. C.; Wills, S.; Smith, M.; Barrett, P. M.; Butler, R. J. (2025). Extreme armour in the world's oldest ankylosaur. Nature 1-6. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09453-6

    Recovered Patagopelta as a non-eurypodan thyreophoran or an early ankylosaur, depending on the tree.

    maidment2025b