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What are Stegosaurus spikes for?
A thagomizer (/ˈθæɡəmaɪzər/) is the distinctive arrangement of four spikes on the tails of stegosaurine dinosaurs. These spikes are believed to have been a defensive measure against predators.
What are the spikes on a Stegosaurus back called?
Among paleontologists, the four-spiked tail of Stegosaurus is called a “thagomizer.” It is one of a few terms inspired by one of Gary Larson’s beloved “Far Side” cartoons: a caveman points to a slide of a Stegosaurus tail and names the nasty-looking structure in honor of “the late Thag Simmons.” Humans and Stegosaurus …
Is Stegosaurus a real dinosaur?
Stegosaurus, (genus Stegosaurus), one of the various plated dinosaurs (Stegosauria) of the Late Jurassic Period (159 million to 144 million years ago) recognizable by its spiked tail and series of large triangular bony plates along the back.
What was the nicest dinosaur?
The Stegosaurus is one of the friendliest dinosaurs to have ever been discovered. The Stegosaurus was a lizard-like, herbivorous dinosaur that lived in areas around the United States and Portugal between 155 and 150 million years ago.
Did dinosaurs have spikes?
Spikes and Spines There are many types of dinosaurs whose bodies featured fearsome spikes. Sometimes these existed along with other forms of protection, like the spikes on the neck and shoulders of the armor-plated Sauropelta, an ankylosaur.
How big are the spikes on a Stegosaurus tail?
This too supports the theory that the spikes were used in combat. There is also evidence for Stegosaurus defending itself, in the form of an Allosaurus tail vertebra with a partially healed puncture wound that fits a Stegosaurus tail spike. Stegosaurus stenops had four dermal spikes, each about 60–90 cm (2–3 ft) long.
What kind of body did a Stegosaurus have?
The Stegosaurus had an arched back and short forelimbs. Its head was held low and its stiff tail was poised high in the air. The Stegosaurus flaunted an array of plates and spikes. The spikes were probably used as defense mechanisms, while it is believed that the plates could have been the same, plus doubled up as a heat control feature.
Why did a Stegosaurus eat a bunch of pebbles?
As to why these structures evolved in the first place, that’s still a mystery. A bunch of pebbles, something that a Stegosaurus would have eaten to help aid digestion. Sean the Spook / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0
What kind of dinosaur had a spiked tail?
Stegosaurus belongs to the genus of the stegosaurid dinosaur that roamed the earth in the Jurassic Age, in North America and Europe. The Stegosaurus was distinct in features for its spiked tail and plates. The name Stegosaurus means ‘roof lizard’. It lived some 155 million years ago, amidst the sauropods.