Stegosaurus Description
The Stegosaurus was a plant-eating dinosaur from the Late Jurassic period, easily recognized by the large, alternating plates along its back and four large spikes on its tail. It was a large, heavily built quadruped with a rounded back, short front legs, and long hind legs, giving it a distinctive arched posture.
Could You Outrun a Stegosaurus?
Stegosaurus is said to have only been capable of reaching top speeds of around ten miles per hour. While not nothing, the average human could achieve maximum speeds undeniably greater than this. Stegosaurus didn’t adapt to be a fast runner for a reason. It was a very large and defensive herbivore that could defend itself from any attacker with needing to run away or retreat. Think of it almost as a living, Prehistoric tank.
Are You Bigger Than a Stegosaurus?
Stegosaurus was one of the largest Stegosaurids ever. A typical stegosaurus was around 30 feet long, 13 feet tall, and between 5 and 7 tons. This behemoth of an herbivore had two rows of large plates on its back, likely used as a way of attracting a mate. It also had 4 “spikes” on the end of its tail called thagomizers which were used in defense against predators of the Jurassic period like Allosaurus and Ceratosaurus.
Fun Facts
- Its brain was only the size of a walnut.
- Some believed Stegosaurus digested stones to help break down the plant matter it consumed.
- Stegosaurus was apparently capable of “singing” very well”
- Stegosaurus had a proportionately long neck
- The term “thagomizer” was coined by cartoonist Gary Larson in a 1983 comic strip
Dino-mite Equations!
Question #1: Could the combined speed of two Stegosaurus outrun a T-rex?
Answer #1
No!
Question #2: How many rows of plates would 8 Stegosaurus have?
Answer #2
16!
VelociLogic 