What did Stegosaurus use their plates for?

What did Stegosaurus use their plates for?

Today, it is generally agreed that their spiked tails were most likely used for defense against predators, while their plates may have been used primarily for display, and secondarily for thermoregulatory functions. Stegosaurus had a relatively low brain-to-body mass ratio.

Did Stegosaurus shed plates?

Presuming that Stegosaurus was an ecothermic animal–that is, had a body temperature determined by the surrounding environment–the plates could have helped the dinosaur heat up by turning broadside in the morning and shed heat by turning toward the sun during midday.

Was the Stegosaurus a predator or prey?

Because it is so front heavy, Stegosaurus walked on all fours (quadrupedal). e small blunt teeth show that Stegosaurus was an herbivore. It had a large gut to break down the plants it ate. Stegosaurus was most probably prey for the likes of Allosaurus, Torvosaurus, and maybe even smaller meat eaters.

What are Stegosaurus predators?

The predators of Stegosaurus were theropod dinosaurs, medium- and large-sized carnivores of the late Jurassic.

Why did Stegosaurus plates turn red?

The plates were covered with a thin membrane of skin and were capable of changing color (say, to bright pink or red). This Stegosaurus “blush” might have served a sexual function, or it may have been used to signal other members of the herd about approaching danger or nearby food sources.

How did Stegosaurus break down plants?

Not only did this dinosaur gulp down lots and lots of plants, it probably swallowed rocks too. Eating rocks would help the dinosaur digest the tough plants in its diet. These stones (called gastroliths) would tumble around inside the stegosaur helping to break up the plants and provide more nutrients.

Who were the Stegosaurus enemies?

Natural enemies of Stegosaurus were Allosaurus and Ceratosaurus. Stegosaurus walked on all four legs.

What do the plates on a Stegosaurus mean?

This Stegosaurus at the Carnegie Museum shows the plates staggered along the back, as most paleontologists believe they were arranged. About Stegosaurus ungulates: Stegosaurus is a plant eating dinosaur with plates on its back and spikes on its tail. Stegosaurus means “covered lizard,” a reference to its plates.

What kind of armour did a Stegosaurus have?

Stegosaurs lost the armour from the flanks of the body that these early relatives had. Plating among different stegosaurs varied: some forms apparently had parallel rather than alternating plates, and some, such as Kentrurosaurus, had plates along the front half of the back and spikes along the back half and tail.

How did the Stegosaurus ungulates get its name?

At Dinosaur, many isolated plates and spikes have been found throughout the Carnegie Quarry. Stegosaurus is Greek for “roof lizard”, after its bony plates, which make it one of the most recognizable dinosaurs in popular culture. Stegosaurus had a very small brain in proportion to its body.

How big was the Stegosaurus in the Jurassic period?

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. Stegosaurus usually grew to a length of about 6.5 metres (21 feet),…