Stegosauridae
Encyclopedia
Stegosauridae is a family
of stegosauria
, large thyreophorans. They lived longer than other Stegosaurs; while all Huayangosauridae and most of basal
stegosaurs died out in Tithonian
- Kimmeridgian
, stegosauridae survived till Middle Cretaceous
. They are usually characterized by triangular plates on their back. These plates were not as hard as the plates of Huayangosauridae, so perhaps they were used only for display.
However there are several exemptions:Dacentrurus
, Lexovisaurus
and Kentrosaurus
have also spikes on their back.
, Stegosauridae are right in the middle. Some paleontologists, propose a theory that they evolved from dinosaurs like Scelidosaurus
. They state that in early stegosaurs, like Huayangosaurus
, plates are relatively small, while in Stegosaurus
, the most advanced member of the family
, they are very large. Perhaps bony plates of stegosaurs evolved from scutes of Scelidosaurus
or its relatives.
, Stormbergia
?↓
Scelidosaurus
, etc.↓ *↓
Lexovisaurus
and other primitive stegosaurs↓ *Ankylosauria
Stegosaurinae
first found Stegosaurus
, he portrayed him with very short front legs and neck. But new evidence says that they had relatively long these body parts. New discoveries suggest that in them was present sexual dimorphism.
using software "ZBrush" created two Stegosaurus
teeth digital models: one was serrated, and another lacked serration
s. He proved that Stegosaurus
had rhamphotheca. Also he found that stegosaurs was capable of bitng small branches.
He also suggested that the same data could be applied to other Stegosauridae.
The earliest stegosaur is thought to be Lexovisaurus
from Bathonian
of England
. There was found a massive femur
of the juvenile
Lexovisaurus
.
This is a list of stegosaurian genera by classification and location:
Suborder Thyreophora
Infraorder Stegosauria
.
Stegosauridae
└──┬─?Chungkingosaurus
└──┬──Chialingosaurus
└──┬──┬──Wuerhosaurus
│ └──┬──Dacentrurus
│ └──Hesperosaurus
└──┬──Tuojiangosaurus
└──┬──┬──Kentrosaurus
│ └──Lexovisaurus
└──┬──Stegosaurus stenops
└──S. ungulatus (=?S. armatus)
He states, that Wuerhosaurus
and Hesperosaurus
are more closely related to Tuojiangosaurus
and Dacentrurus
, than to Stegosaurus
. However, Thomas Holtz thinks that Hypsirophus, Stegosaurus
, Hesperosaurus
and Wuerhosaurus
form a subfamily-Stegosaurinae.
Cladogramm by Holtz et al.
Stegosauridae
└──┬──┬──Dacentrurinae
│ └──┬──Dacentrurus
│ └──Miragaia
└──┬──Stegosaurinae
└──┬──┬──Wuerhosaurus
│ └──Hesperosaurus
└──┬──Stegosaurus
└──Hypsirophus
, Kentrosaurus
, and Tuojiangosaurus
, arecharacterized by triangular plates running along their ba and reduced lateral osteoderms. Some of them like Kentrosaurus
, also had spines on second half of their back and postorbital horns.
and Miragaia
. They usually have long back spines and necks.
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
of stegosauria
Stegosauria
Known colloquially as stegosaurs, the Stegosauria are a group of herbivorous dinosaurs of the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous Periods, being found mostly in the Northern Hemisphere, predominantly in what is now North America and China....
, large thyreophorans. They lived longer than other Stegosaurs; while all Huayangosauridae and most of basal
Basal (phylogenetics)
In phylogenetics, a basal clade is the earliest clade to branch in a larger clade; it appears at the base of a cladogram.A basal group forms an outgroup to the rest of the clade, such as in the following example:...
stegosaurs died out in Tithonian
Tithonian
In the geologic timescale the Tithonian is the latest age of the Late Jurassic epoch or the uppermost stage of the Upper Jurassic series. It spans the time between 150.8 ± 4 Ma and 145.5 ± 4 Ma...
- Kimmeridgian
Kimmeridgian
In the geologic timescale, the Kimmeridgian is an age or stage in the Late or Upper Jurassic epoch or series. It spans the time between 155.7 ± 4 Ma and 150.8 ± 4 Ma . The Kimmeridgian follows the Oxfordian and precedes the Tithonian....
, stegosauridae survived till Middle Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
. They are usually characterized by triangular plates on their back. These plates were not as hard as the plates of Huayangosauridae, so perhaps they were used only for display.
However there are several exemptions:Dacentrurus
Dacentrurus
Dacentrurus , originally known as Omosaurus, was a large stegosaur of the Late Jurassic Period .-Description:...
, Lexovisaurus
Lexovisaurus
Lexovisaurus was one of the first dinosaurs from mid-to-Late Jurassic Europe, 164.7 mya to be discovered. It was a stegosaur. Its fossils have been found in France and northern England....
and Kentrosaurus
Kentrosaurus
Kentrosaurus is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of Tanzania. Its fossils have been found only in the Tendaguru Formation of Tanzania, dated to the Kimmeridgian stage, between about 155.7 ± 4 Ma and 150.8 ± 4 Ma . Apparently, all finds belong to one species, K...
have also spikes on their back.
Distribution of Stegosauridae through time
Evolution
In the family tree of ThyreophoraThyreophora
The Thyreophora were a subgroup of the ornithischian dinosaurs...
, Stegosauridae are right in the middle. Some paleontologists, propose a theory that they evolved from dinosaurs like Scelidosaurus
Scelidosaurus
Scelidosaurus is a genus of quadrupedal, lightly plated, herbivorous dinosaur about long. It lived during the Early Jurassic Period, during the Hettangian to Sinemurian stages around 199.6 to 194 million years ago. Its fossils have been found in both England and in Arizona, in the United...
. They state that in early stegosaurs, like Huayangosaurus
Huayangosaurus
Huayangosaurus is a genus of stegosaurian dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of China. The name derives from "Huayang", an alternate name for Sichuan , and "saurus", meaning "lizard"...
, plates are relatively small, while in Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus is a genus of armored stegosaurid dinosaur. They lived during the Late Jurassic period , some 155 to 150 million years ago in what is now western North America. In 2006, a specimen of Stegosaurus was announced from Portugal, showing that they were present in Europe as well...
, the most advanced member of the family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
, they are very large. Perhaps bony plates of stegosaurs evolved from scutes of Scelidosaurus
Scelidosaurus
Scelidosaurus is a genus of quadrupedal, lightly plated, herbivorous dinosaur about long. It lived during the Early Jurassic Period, during the Hettangian to Sinemurian stages around 199.6 to 194 million years ago. Its fossils have been found in both England and in Arizona, in the United...
or its relatives.
Family tree of Thyreophora
LesothosaurusLesothosaurus
Lesothosaurus is an herbivorous ornithischian dinosaur. It was named by paleontologist Peter Galton in 1978, the name meaning "lizard from Lesotho". The genus is monotypic, having only one valid species, Lesothosaurus diagnosticus, within the genus....
, Stormbergia
Stormbergia
Stormbergia is a genus of early ornithischian dinosaur known from the upper Elliot Formation of South Africa and Lesotho, named by Richard Butler in 2005...
?↓
Scelidosaurus
Scelidosaurus
Scelidosaurus is a genus of quadrupedal, lightly plated, herbivorous dinosaur about long. It lived during the Early Jurassic Period, during the Hettangian to Sinemurian stages around 199.6 to 194 million years ago. Its fossils have been found in both England and in Arizona, in the United...
, etc.↓ *↓
Lexovisaurus
Lexovisaurus
Lexovisaurus was one of the first dinosaurs from mid-to-Late Jurassic Europe, 164.7 mya to be discovered. It was a stegosaur. Its fossils have been found in France and northern England....
and other primitive stegosaurs↓ *Ankylosauria
Ankylosauria
Ankylosauria is a group of herbivorous dinosaurs of the order Ornithischia. It includes the great majority of dinosaurs with armor in the form of bony osteoderms. Ankylosaurs were bulky quadrupeds, with short, powerful limbs. They are first known to have appeared in the early Jurassic Period of...
Stegosaurinae
General anatomy
Stegosaurids were usually large and powerful dinosaurs. Their front legs were shorter than their rear making them slow - moving dinosaurs. When Othniel Charles MarshOthniel Charles Marsh
Othniel Charles Marsh was an American paleontologist. Marsh was one of the preeminent scientists in the field; the discovery or description of dozens of news species and theories on the origins of birds are among his legacies.Born into a modest family, Marsh was able to afford higher education...
first found Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus is a genus of armored stegosaurid dinosaur. They lived during the Late Jurassic period , some 155 to 150 million years ago in what is now western North America. In 2006, a specimen of Stegosaurus was announced from Portugal, showing that they were present in Europe as well...
, he portrayed him with very short front legs and neck. But new evidence says that they had relatively long these body parts. New discoveries suggest that in them was present sexual dimorphism.
Bite
In 2010 Miriam Reichel from SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
using software "ZBrush" created two Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus is a genus of armored stegosaurid dinosaur. They lived during the Late Jurassic period , some 155 to 150 million years ago in what is now western North America. In 2006, a specimen of Stegosaurus was announced from Portugal, showing that they were present in Europe as well...
teeth digital models: one was serrated, and another lacked serration
Serration
Serration generally refers to a saw-like appearance or a row of sharp or tooth-like projections. A serrated cutting edge has many small points of contact with the material being cut. By having less contact area than a smooth blade or other edge, the applied force at each point of contact is...
s. He proved that Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus is a genus of armored stegosaurid dinosaur. They lived during the Late Jurassic period , some 155 to 150 million years ago in what is now western North America. In 2006, a specimen of Stegosaurus was announced from Portugal, showing that they were present in Europe as well...
had rhamphotheca. Also he found that stegosaurs was capable of bitng small branches.
He also suggested that the same data could be applied to other Stegosauridae.
Taxonomy
Stegosaurids are usually divided into two main subfamilies: Dacentrurinae and Stegosaurinae. Stegosaurinae are usually characterized by large sizes.The earliest stegosaur is thought to be Lexovisaurus
Lexovisaurus
Lexovisaurus was one of the first dinosaurs from mid-to-Late Jurassic Europe, 164.7 mya to be discovered. It was a stegosaur. Its fossils have been found in France and northern England....
from Bathonian
Bathonian
In the geologic timescale the Bathonian is an age or stage of the Middle Jurassic. It lasted from approximately 167.7 Ma to around 164.7 Ma...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. There was found a massive femur
Femur
The femur , or thigh bone, is the most proximal bone of the leg in tetrapod vertebrates capable of walking or jumping, such as most land mammals, birds, many reptiles such as lizards, and amphibians such as frogs. In vertebrates with four legs such as dogs and horses, the femur is found only in...
of the juvenile
Juvenile
Juvenile or The Juvenile may refer to:*Juvenile status, or minor , prior to adulthood*Juvenile , American musician*Juvenile novel**Any of "Heinlein juveniles"*Juvenile *Juvenile , a Japanese movie...
Lexovisaurus
Lexovisaurus
Lexovisaurus was one of the first dinosaurs from mid-to-Late Jurassic Europe, 164.7 mya to be discovered. It was a stegosaur. Its fossils have been found in France and northern England....
.
This is a list of stegosaurian genera by classification and location:
Suborder Thyreophora
Thyreophora
The Thyreophora were a subgroup of the ornithischian dinosaurs...
Infraorder Stegosauria
- Family Stegosauridae
- LexovisaurusLexovisaurusLexovisaurus was one of the first dinosaurs from mid-to-Late Jurassic Europe, 164.7 mya to be discovered. It was a stegosaur. Its fossils have been found in France and northern England....
(=LoricatosaurusLoricatosaurusLoricatosaurus is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur from Callovian-age rocks of England and France...
) — (United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
& FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) - KentrosaurusKentrosaurusKentrosaurus is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of Tanzania. Its fossils have been found only in the Tendaguru Formation of Tanzania, dated to the Kimmeridgian stage, between about 155.7 ± 4 Ma and 150.8 ± 4 Ma . Apparently, all finds belong to one species, K...
— (TanzaniaTanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, Africa) - ParanthodonParanthodonParanthodon was a dinosaur from the early Cretaceous. It lived in what is now South Africa. It is classified as a stegosaur. It has a long and confusing history. The type species, Paranthodon africanus, comes from a partial skull first described as Palaeoscincus africanus in 1912...
— (South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
) - MonkonosaurusMonkonosaurusMonkonosaurus is the name given to a dubious genus of dinosaur from the Late Jurassic . It was a stegosaur which lived in what is now Tibet. The type specimen, Monkonosaurus lawulacus was formalized by Zhao in 1983, but is based only on one partial skeleton...
— (TibetTibetTibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
)- TuojiangosaurusTuojiangosaurusTuojiangosaurus is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Period, recovered from the Upper Shaximiao Formation of what is now Sichuan Province in China. Physically similar to the North American Stegosaurus, Tuojiangosaurus is the best understood of the Chinese stegosaurids...
— (SichuanSichuan' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
) - Subfamily Dacentrurinae
- Tuojiangosaurus
- DacentrurusDacentrurusDacentrurus , originally known as Omosaurus, was a large stegosaur of the Late Jurassic Period .-Description:...
— (United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
& SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) - MiragaiaMiragaia (dinosaur)Miragaia is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur. Its fossils have been found in Upper Jurassic rocks in Portugal...
— (PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
)- Subfamily Stegosaurinae
- StegosaurusStegosaurusStegosaurus is a genus of armored stegosaurid dinosaur. They lived during the Late Jurassic period , some 155 to 150 million years ago in what is now western North America. In 2006, a specimen of Stegosaurus was announced from Portugal, showing that they were present in Europe as well...
— (WyomingWyomingWyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, USA) - HesperosaurusHesperosaurusHesperosaurus was a herbivorous dinosaur from the Kimmeridgian to Tithonian epochs of the Jurassic period , whose fossils are found in the state of Wyoming in the United States of America...
— (WyomingWyomingWyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, USA) - WuerhosaurusWuerhosaurusWuerhosaurus is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Period of China. As such, it was one of the last genera of stegosaurians known to have existed, since most others lived in the late Jurassic.-Discovery and species:...
— (XinjiangXinjiangXinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
, Western ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
)
- Lexovisaurus
Phylogeny
A cladogramm by Kenneth CarpenterKenneth Carpenter
Kenneth Carpenter is a paleontologist. He is the museum director of the USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum and author or co-author of a number of books on dinosaurs and Mesozoic life...
.
Stegosauridae
└──┬─?Chungkingosaurus
Chungkingosaurus
Chungkingosaurus, meaning "Chongqing Lizard", is a genus of dinosaur from the Late Jurassic-age Upper Shaximiao Formation in what is now China. It is classified as a stegosaurid.-Discovery and species:...
└──┬──Chialingosaurus
Chialingosaurus
Chialingosaurus is a genus of stegosaur similar to Kentrosaurus from the Upper Shaximiao Formation, Late Jurassic beds in Sichuan Province in China. Its age makes it one of the oldest species of stegosaurs, living about 160 million years ago...
└──┬──┬──Wuerhosaurus
Wuerhosaurus
Wuerhosaurus is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Period of China. As such, it was one of the last genera of stegosaurians known to have existed, since most others lived in the late Jurassic.-Discovery and species:...
│ └──┬──Dacentrurus
Dacentrurus
Dacentrurus , originally known as Omosaurus, was a large stegosaur of the Late Jurassic Period .-Description:...
│ └──Hesperosaurus
Hesperosaurus
Hesperosaurus was a herbivorous dinosaur from the Kimmeridgian to Tithonian epochs of the Jurassic period , whose fossils are found in the state of Wyoming in the United States of America...
└──┬──Tuojiangosaurus
Tuojiangosaurus
Tuojiangosaurus is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Period, recovered from the Upper Shaximiao Formation of what is now Sichuan Province in China. Physically similar to the North American Stegosaurus, Tuojiangosaurus is the best understood of the Chinese stegosaurids...
└──┬──┬──Kentrosaurus
Kentrosaurus
Kentrosaurus is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of Tanzania. Its fossils have been found only in the Tendaguru Formation of Tanzania, dated to the Kimmeridgian stage, between about 155.7 ± 4 Ma and 150.8 ± 4 Ma . Apparently, all finds belong to one species, K...
│ └──Lexovisaurus
Lexovisaurus
Lexovisaurus was one of the first dinosaurs from mid-to-Late Jurassic Europe, 164.7 mya to be discovered. It was a stegosaur. Its fossils have been found in France and northern England....
└──┬──Stegosaurus stenops
Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus is a genus of armored stegosaurid dinosaur. They lived during the Late Jurassic period , some 155 to 150 million years ago in what is now western North America. In 2006, a specimen of Stegosaurus was announced from Portugal, showing that they were present in Europe as well...
└──S. ungulatus (=?S. armatus)
He states, that Wuerhosaurus
Wuerhosaurus
Wuerhosaurus is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Period of China. As such, it was one of the last genera of stegosaurians known to have existed, since most others lived in the late Jurassic.-Discovery and species:...
and Hesperosaurus
Hesperosaurus
Hesperosaurus was a herbivorous dinosaur from the Kimmeridgian to Tithonian epochs of the Jurassic period , whose fossils are found in the state of Wyoming in the United States of America...
are more closely related to Tuojiangosaurus
Tuojiangosaurus
Tuojiangosaurus is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Period, recovered from the Upper Shaximiao Formation of what is now Sichuan Province in China. Physically similar to the North American Stegosaurus, Tuojiangosaurus is the best understood of the Chinese stegosaurids...
and Dacentrurus
Dacentrurus
Dacentrurus , originally known as Omosaurus, was a large stegosaur of the Late Jurassic Period .-Description:...
, than to Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus is a genus of armored stegosaurid dinosaur. They lived during the Late Jurassic period , some 155 to 150 million years ago in what is now western North America. In 2006, a specimen of Stegosaurus was announced from Portugal, showing that they were present in Europe as well...
. However, Thomas Holtz thinks that Hypsirophus, Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus is a genus of armored stegosaurid dinosaur. They lived during the Late Jurassic period , some 155 to 150 million years ago in what is now western North America. In 2006, a specimen of Stegosaurus was announced from Portugal, showing that they were present in Europe as well...
, Hesperosaurus
Hesperosaurus
Hesperosaurus was a herbivorous dinosaur from the Kimmeridgian to Tithonian epochs of the Jurassic period , whose fossils are found in the state of Wyoming in the United States of America...
and Wuerhosaurus
Wuerhosaurus
Wuerhosaurus is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Period of China. As such, it was one of the last genera of stegosaurians known to have existed, since most others lived in the late Jurassic.-Discovery and species:...
form a subfamily-Stegosaurinae.
Cladogramm by Holtz et al.
Stegosauridae
└──┬──┬──Dacentrurinae
│ └──┬──Dacentrurus
Dacentrurus
Dacentrurus , originally known as Omosaurus, was a large stegosaur of the Late Jurassic Period .-Description:...
│ └──Miragaia
Miragaia (dinosaur)
Miragaia is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur. Its fossils have been found in Upper Jurassic rocks in Portugal...
└──┬──Stegosaurinae
└──┬──┬──Wuerhosaurus
Wuerhosaurus
Wuerhosaurus is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Period of China. As such, it was one of the last genera of stegosaurians known to have existed, since most others lived in the late Jurassic.-Discovery and species:...
│ └──Hesperosaurus
Hesperosaurus
Hesperosaurus was a herbivorous dinosaur from the Kimmeridgian to Tithonian epochs of the Jurassic period , whose fossils are found in the state of Wyoming in the United States of America...
└──┬──Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus is a genus of armored stegosaurid dinosaur. They lived during the Late Jurassic period , some 155 to 150 million years ago in what is now western North America. In 2006, a specimen of Stegosaurus was announced from Portugal, showing that they were present in Europe as well...
└──Hypsirophus
Primitive Stegosauridae
Most of primitive stegosaurids, such as LexovisaurusLexovisaurus
Lexovisaurus was one of the first dinosaurs from mid-to-Late Jurassic Europe, 164.7 mya to be discovered. It was a stegosaur. Its fossils have been found in France and northern England....
, Kentrosaurus
Kentrosaurus
Kentrosaurus is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of Tanzania. Its fossils have been found only in the Tendaguru Formation of Tanzania, dated to the Kimmeridgian stage, between about 155.7 ± 4 Ma and 150.8 ± 4 Ma . Apparently, all finds belong to one species, K...
, and Tuojiangosaurus
Tuojiangosaurus
Tuojiangosaurus is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Period, recovered from the Upper Shaximiao Formation of what is now Sichuan Province in China. Physically similar to the North American Stegosaurus, Tuojiangosaurus is the best understood of the Chinese stegosaurids...
, arecharacterized by triangular plates running along their ba and reduced lateral osteoderms. Some of them like Kentrosaurus
Kentrosaurus
Kentrosaurus is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of Tanzania. Its fossils have been found only in the Tendaguru Formation of Tanzania, dated to the Kimmeridgian stage, between about 155.7 ± 4 Ma and 150.8 ± 4 Ma . Apparently, all finds belong to one species, K...
, also had spines on second half of their back and postorbital horns.
Dacentrurinae
Today are known only 2 members of Dacentrurinae: DacentrurusDacentrurus
Dacentrurus , originally known as Omosaurus, was a large stegosaur of the Late Jurassic Period .-Description:...
and Miragaia
Miragaia (dinosaur)
Miragaia is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur. Its fossils have been found in Upper Jurassic rocks in Portugal...
. They usually have long back spines and necks.