Stegosaurus
Name Origin
Roofed Lizard
Family
Stegosauridae
Classification
Diapsida, Ornithischia, Thyreophora
Habitat (Discovery Location)
United States, Portugal, Madagascar
Period
Approximately 155 to 145 million years ago (Late Jurassic)
Length
Approximately 9 meters
Weight
Approximately 2.5 to 3.5 tons
Diet
Herbivore (Plant-eater)
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Description
Stegosaurus was the largest of the armored dinosaurs. Its relatives thrived throughout the Late Jurassic period, and their fossils have been found all over the world.
It had four large, sharp spikes jutting out horizontally from the end of its tail. Stegosaurus was completely unable to run from its enemies. Instead, it’s believed to have defended itself from carnivores like Allosaurus by actively swinging its tail from side to side.
Its forelimbs were short, and its hips were positioned higher than its shoulders.
Short forelimbs, with its hips positioned higher than its shoulders.
Its back was also humped, giving it an arched shape. The bony plates on its back made it look larger than it actually was.
Heavily Armored Dinosaur
The most prominent feature of Stegosaurus and its relatives was the 17 bony plates arranged in rows on their backs. Other members of this group had smaller plates or spikes on their shoulders and tails. While the spikes were likely used for defense, the function of the plates is still not fully understood, and there are many differing opinions.
The plates were not part of its skeleton but were attached to its skin. They were arranged in two alternating rows down its back and were likely covered in keratin.
When the first Stegosaurus fossil was discovered in the 1870s, it was believed that the plates covered its back like a roof. This is where the name “roofed lizard” comes from.
A hundred years after the fossil’s discovery, as the arrangement of the plates became clearer, it was thought that they helped regulate body temperature by absorbing solar heat and dissipating excess heat. However, since the plates had few blood vessels, it’s unlikely they were very effective for this purpose.
It was thought that the plates helped regulate body temperature by absorbing solar heat and dissipating excess heat.
The edges of the plates were as sharp as blades and may have been used as a weapon. Many paleontologists believe that the plates were brightly colored or patterned and served as a display for attracting mates.
A Dinosaur in Chain Mail
While a Stegosaurus’s throat might look vulnerable, its surface was covered in more than 100 small, pebble-like ossicles, like a suit of chain mail. This made its neck very flexible yet robustly protected. It would have been difficult for a carnivore to target its throat.
Fine bones were also embedded under the skin around its hips, which, along with the spikes on its tail, are thought to have provided additional defense.
How It Ate
Stegosaurus had a small head and a long snout. Its small teeth were located only at the back of its mouth. When eating, it would use its sharp beak at the front of its mouth like a pair of shears to snip off low-lying plants. It would then grind its upper and lower teeth together to chew and shred the plants. It likely had cheek pouches to temporarily hold food before chewing it.