THE STEGOSAURIAN DINOSAURS

Dacentrurus

DA-sen-TROD-rus

Pointed tail

Ornithischia: Stegosauria

Middle to late Jurassic

Western Europe

Dacentrurus was one of the earliest stegosaurs. It is only known form odd bones in England, France and Portugal, sa a restoration cannot be given. Dacentrurus had paired spines on its back, but probably no plates. Some of the specimens show close similarities with stegosarus.

Dravidosaurus

Dra-VID-oh-SAW-rus

Dravid reptile

Ornithischia: Stegosauria

Late Cretaceousus

Southern India

Dravidosaurus is the last known stegosaur. Most stegosaur like stegosaurus and kentrosaurus, lived during the late Jurassic, so that there is a span of milions of years between these and Drvidosarus. Dravidosarus had no armor of plates on its back, and strange spines which bulged hlafway up. It was named in 1979.

Kentrosaurus

KEN-tro-SAW-rus

Spiked reptile

Ornithischia: Stegosauria

Late Jurassic

Tanzania

Kentrosaurus was a large plated dinosaur, about 16.5ft (5m) long. Some good skeletons were collected at the famous Tendaguru site in Tanzania. It was rather like stegosaurus, which lived in North America at the same time,expect that Kentrosaurus had more primitive armor like that of lexovisaurus. It had trianglar plates on the neck and shoulders, and spines on the back tail.

Lexovisaurus

Lex-OVE-ih-SAW-rus

Lexovi (ancien tribe) reptiles

Ornithischia: Stegosauria

Middle Jurassic

England and France

Lexovisaurus is one of the oldest known stegosaurs. We know about it from piexecs of armor and limb bones unearthed in England and northern France. The French specimens show that Lexovisaurus was probably rather like kentrosaurus. Its armor was a selection of flat plates and round pointed spines that ran along the back and tail. There was a pair of very long spines that ran alnog the back and tail. There was a pair of very long spines over the hips. Lexovisaurus was probably about 1625ft (5m) long.

Scelidosaurus

Skel-IDE-oh-SAW-rus

Ribbed reptile

Ornithischia: ?Stegosauria

Early Jurrasic

Southern England

Scelidosaurus is a strange and early armored dinosaur. It was named from a collection of leg bones and a partial skull. Later it has been shown that the leg bones belonged to another animal – megalosaurus. Some skeletons of Scelidosaurus have been found around 1980s. Scelidosaurus had a small head with leaflike ridged teeth and four strong legs. Its body was armored with bony knobs and spikes.

Stegosaurus

SETG-oh-SAW-rus

Plated reptile

Ornithischia: Stegosauria

Early Jurrasic to Late Cratecous

Wyoming, USA

Stegosaurus was named in 1877 from an incomplete skeleton discovered in Colorado, USA. Stegosaurus had a tiny tubular skull with a brain the size of a walnut. Its teeth were small, blunt, and leaflike. Stegosaurus had four long spines. It had very short front legs, about half the length of its hind legs. Stegosaurus was up to 30ft. (9m) long.