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Name: Stegosaurus
Pronunciation: stehg-oh-Saw-rus Translation: Roofed Lizard Diet: Herbivore Height: 12 feet (3.7 meters) Length: 28 feet (9 meters) Weight: 6-8 tons (5,400 – 7,300 kilograms) Location: Western U.S., Europe, India, China, and Africa. Time: Jurassic Period (155 Million Years Ago) |
Easily one of the most well known dinosaurs, Stegosaurus is recognized the world over. Its small head, the unique plates along its back, and spiked tail make it a peculiar and visually outstanding dinosaur. The long spikes on its tail, known as Thagomizers, would have proved to be a powerful weapon against predators, making Stegosaurus a very deadly prey item for even the largest carnivores of its time, including the fearsome Allosaurus.
Despite being a quite muscular and bulky animal, Stegosaurus’ brain was only about the size of a walnut. Because of this incredibly disproportionate brain to body ratio, Stegosaurus has historically been known as the dumbest dinosaur, a fact that was seemingly backed up by a proposed “second brain” located around the animal’s hip. However, scientists now dispute the idea that Stegosaurus was particularly dumb, with some theories stating the “second brain” was actually a nerve cluster was used to give Stegosaurus an edge in defense, controlling the tail in a fight while the true brain controlled the body. Other scientists believe this structure was in fact a nutrient or energy storage, providing Stegosaurus with natural backup reserves in the event food became scarce.
While Stegosaurus’ most outstanding feature is likely the plates along its back that give the animal its name, there is very little scientific consensus as to what these plates were actually used for. While the most prevalent theory is that they were purely for display, both to attract mates and deter predators, some scientists have suggested that they were for various other purposes, such as regulating body temperature or defending the back from attacks. Some paleontologists even believe Stegosaurus’ plates could have even moved up and down to intimidate or cause harm to a predator, cutting the attacker with the sharp edges!
Despite being a quite muscular and bulky animal, Stegosaurus’ brain was only about the size of a walnut. Because of this incredibly disproportionate brain to body ratio, Stegosaurus has historically been known as the dumbest dinosaur, a fact that was seemingly backed up by a proposed “second brain” located around the animal’s hip. However, scientists now dispute the idea that Stegosaurus was particularly dumb, with some theories stating the “second brain” was actually a nerve cluster was used to give Stegosaurus an edge in defense, controlling the tail in a fight while the true brain controlled the body. Other scientists believe this structure was in fact a nutrient or energy storage, providing Stegosaurus with natural backup reserves in the event food became scarce.
While Stegosaurus’ most outstanding feature is likely the plates along its back that give the animal its name, there is very little scientific consensus as to what these plates were actually used for. While the most prevalent theory is that they were purely for display, both to attract mates and deter predators, some scientists have suggested that they were for various other purposes, such as regulating body temperature or defending the back from attacks. Some paleontologists even believe Stegosaurus’ plates could have even moved up and down to intimidate or cause harm to a predator, cutting the attacker with the sharp edges!