Stegosaurus was a plated dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Jurassic Period. It had a bulky body with a high, arched back and pillar-like limbs.
The skull and brain of Stegosaurus were especially small for such a large animal. Its narrow head measured only 16 inches (40 centimeters) long. There once was a mistaken belief that this dinosaur had two brains because the sacrum region of the spinal cord was actually larger than its brain cavity. Recent theories suggest, however, that the sacrum region may have been used to store glycogen, which contains carbohydrates, as it does in several modern animals.
The most striking feature of Stegosaurus was the enormous triangular-shaped line of plates along its spine. Each horn-covered, bony plate stood more than 2 feet (60 centimeters) tall. Each individual plate of every dinosaur had its own distinctive size and shape; no two were alike. There has been much debate among paleontologists as to the function of these plates. The alternating positions of the structures, which also contained several blood vessels, have led some paleontologists to believe that they were used for thermoregulation—that is, to help the dinosaur control its body temperature. They could either act as solar panels to soak up the warmth of the sun, or they could help the animal to release excess body heat into the atmosphere. Other paleontologists believe that Stegosaurus used its plates for species recognition and for display purposes during the breeding season. One very likely function of these plates was to provide Stegosaurus with protection from predators such as Allosaurus. This unique feature inspired the name Stegosaurus, which means “covered lizard,” or “roof lizard.”
Credit : Britannica
Picture Credit : Google
