The discovery and research timeline
From the 1995 find to the 2026 taxonomic description.
THE FOSSIL RECORD
Japan’s shield, examined through evidence.
An independent field guide to Nipponopelta yezoensis. Explore the specimen, the research, and the limits of what we can know.
Explore the evidence1995Fossil discovered2026Taxon namedMCM A522Holotype specimen
A useful starting point
Read the fossil.
Question the reconstruction.
The known material is incomplete. This guide separates the specimen and the researchers’ analysis from the life history that an illustration might tempt us to imagine.
Read the field guideInside the guide
Geology and the limits of a locality
Hokkaido, the Hikagenosawa Formation and the interpretation of marine sediments.
How to read a dinosaur reconstruction
A reader’s checklist for anatomy, taxonomic evidence and illustration.