A Tarbosaurus might be the winner based solely on size comparison, but the spiky little Polacanthus was too strong to crush. Tarbo trying to eat the Polacanthus would be like trying to eat a turtle through the shell! Plus, the small Polacanthus could scurry away, slapping the Tarbo’s nose with its armored tail as it went and winning the dinosaur battle!
Table of Contents
Battle Facts about Tarbosaurus vs. Polacanthus
| Name | Tarbosaurus (Tarbosaurus bataar) | Polacanthus (Polacanthus foxii) |
| Size | 33 feet long, 11-12 feet tall | 9-15 feet long, 3-4 feet tall |
| Speed | 25 mph | 25-30 mph |
| Offense | Bite force of 8,000-10,000 pounds | Spiked armor |
| Defense | Locking lower jaw, strong and sturdy legs | Spiked armor on the tail |
| Endurance and Behavior | Hunter of large prey and scavenger of carcasses | Foraged in dense, low shrubs in wetland areas |
What was the Tarbosaurus like?
The Tarbosaurus was a lot like the Tyrannosaurus rex. In fact, T-rex and Tarbo were related. Both these dinos were carnivores and lived in the Late Cretaceous period. Tarbosaurus and T-rex lived on separate continents but had much in common.
Tarbo’s bite force was almost as strong as T-rex. That bite force of around 10,000 pounds wouldn’t help Tarbo beat the Polacanthus. Just like T-rex couldn’t bite through the Ankylosaurus’s armor, Tarbo wouldn’t be able to bite the spiky Polacanthus.
What did the Polacanthus look like?
The Polacanthus looked a lot like its dino cousins, Ankylosaurus and Edmontonia. It had spikes on most of its bony plates, giving it even more protection from predators. Only the underbelly was soft, and the Polacanthus guarded this area carefully.
This dino might remind you of an armadillo or a pangolin. Both these modern animals have soft bellies and armored backs. Too bad the Polacanthus couldn’t curl into a ball.
Did Tarbosaurus and Polacanthus Live Together?
Tarbosaurus and Polacanthus lived in completely different periods. The Tarbosaurus lived 100-66 mya (million years ago). The Polacanthus lived 130-125 mya.
Tarbo lived in Asia around the same period as many cool dinos from all over the world. Late Cretaceous dinos include:
- Carnotaurus (South America)
- Diceratops/Nedoceratops (North America)
- Giganotosaurus (South America)
- Sauropelta (North America)
- Spinosaurus (Africa)
- Therizinosaurus (Asia)
- Triceratops (North America)
- Velociraptor (Asia)
The Polacanthus lived in Early Cretaceous Europe at about the same time as dinos like:
- Acrocanthosaurus (North America)
- Baryonyx (Europe)
- Raptorex (Asia)
- Suchomimus (Africa)
- Siamotyrannus (Asia)
These dinos might seem like they lived far apart, but remember, we only had two continents during the Cretaceous. North America and South America were one continent. Asia, Europe, and Africa made up most of the other continents. So many of these dinos lived closer together than you might think!
Which Dino would win the Tarbosaurus vs. Polacanthus Dinosaur Battle?
This would be a harsh and tiresome dinosaur battle. Tarbo couldn’t eat the Polacanthus unless it could slash the soft belly, and the Polacanthus couldn’t hurt Tarbo either.
Still, the Polacanthus would be the winner because this little herbivore can escape being a meal for the Tarbosaurus. Small, fast, and armored, Polacanthus just didn’t make for an easy win for the Tarbo.
Since the Polacanthus could get away from Tarbo, we’re crowning the Polacanthus, the matchup winner. However, the Polacanthus might not win the Dinosaur Battle World Championship against bigger, scarier dinos.