| Stegosaurus Temporal range: Late Jurassic (Possibly Early Cretaceous) 155–145Ma | |
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| A restoration of Stegosaurus stenops done by Matthew Martyniuk. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| clade: | Dinosauria |
| Order: | †Ornithischia |
| Suborder: | †Stegosauria |
| Family: | †Stegosauridae |
| Subfamily: | †Stegosaurinae |
| Genus: | †Stegosaurus Marsh, 1877 |
| Type species | |
| †Stegosaurus armatus Marsh, 1877 | |
| Referred species | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Stegosaurus (meaning roof lizard) is an extinct genus of stegosaurid dinosaur that lived in Late Jurassic of North America. The type species is Stegosaurus stenops.
Discovery and Naming[]
The holotype (YPM 1850) was first collected during the Bone Wars. Then, it was named as Stegosaurus stenops by Othniel Charles Marsh. Later species were assigned to the genus soon after by Marsh, including S. stenops. S. sulcatus, and S. ungulatus.
Description[]
It had several plates along its back. It is the largest stegosaur known. Despite this enormous size, its braincase was small.
Classification[]
It is classified as a member and type genus of the subfamily Stegosaurinae in the family Stegosauridae.
Popular Culture[]
- Over the years, Stegosaurus has seen its share of screen time, often pitted in battle against large carnivorous dinosaurs, in both theatres and television. It came up against Ceratosaurus in Journey to the Beginning of Time (1954), in The Animal World (1956), It was even seen pitted against Tyrannosaurus, in Planet of Dinosaurs (1978), Walt Disney's Fantasia (1940) (which was the first time use of the spike tail for defense was portrayed), and in the remake of the series Land of the Lost (1992–93). A baby Stegosaurus dubbed Spike is one of the lead characters in The Land Before Time (1988) and its direct-to-video sequels.
- In the classic monster film, King Kong (1933), the first creature that the band of rescuers meet, as they chase the abducted Fay Wray deep into Skull Island, is a roaring Stegosaurus, which charges. In the 2005 Peter Jackson remake Stegosaurus is nowhere to be seen, although in the extended edition the fictional Triceratops-like dinosaur "Ferructus" takes its place.
- Stegosaurus is one of the three dinosaur species whose physical characteristics were combined by the designers at Toho, to create the Japanese monster Godzilla; the other two dinosaurs were Tyrannosaurus and Iguanodon. In the American version of King Kong vs. Godzilla this is remarked upon by a reporter, claiming Godzilla was half-Stegosaur, half-Tyrannosaur.
- In Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, a rib cage of a Stegosaurus is shown.
- Stegosaurus appeared in the ROBLOX game "Era of Terror", however it was removed for updates and although it was never added back when the game was shut down, it was added back in the remake.
- Stegosaurus appeared in the Roblox game Dinosaur World mobile released on 12/25/20.
- Stegosaurus appeared in LEGO Jurassic World as an unlockable/playable character.
- Stegosaurus appeared in Jurassic World: Evolution and it's sequel, Jurassic World: Evolution 2. In this game, they are depicted as having very strict population standards.
- Stegosaurus appeared in Plants VS Zombies 2, being depicted with an orange color palette. It flings zombies further or into other lanes right in your defenses.
- Stegosaurus appeared in The Isle.
- Stegosaurus appeared in Path of Titans.
- Stegosaurus is confirmed to be added to the video game Prehistoric Kingdom.
- Stegosaurus appeared in Dinosaur World Mobile.
- Stegosaurus appears in the second episode of BBC’s Walking with Dinosaurs (1999), Time of the Titans, Where it faces Allosaurus, and in Allosaurus: A Walking with Dinosaurs Special, where a pair are seen at a watering hole, Stegosaurus appears in the third episode of BBC's Walking with Monsters (2005), Clash of the Titans, Where it being stalked by an Allosaurus.
- Stegosaurus appears in 2001 documentary, When Dinosaurs Roamed America, where the love story of a male and female takes place in the third segment of the late Jurassic as they stay together for protection from predators like Ceratosaurus.
- Stegosaurus appears in the 2007 documentary, Mammals vs Dinos, where one battles it out with an Allosaurus.
- Stegosaurus appears in 2008 documentary series, Jurassic Fight Club, where a mother and baby get stuck in the mud of a watering hole, along with a male Camarasaurus, and are attacked by a Ceratosaurus, who kills and eats the baby alive, and a trio of Allosaurus, who kill the Ceratosaurus, and are killed by the mother Stegosaurus and the Camarasaurus.
- Stegosaurus appears in Planet Dinosaur (2011), where it and Camptosaurus live together for mutual protection against predators like Allosaurus.
- Stegosaurus appears in Prehistoric: Denver.
- Stegosaurus appears in Dino Lab ll.
- Stegosaurus appears in Dino Dan, Dino Dan: Trek’s Adventures & Dino Dana.