What were the bony plates on the stegosaurus used for?

The plates were a temperature-regulation device. If Stegosaurus was, in fact, cold-blooded (as most plant-eating dinosaurs of the Mesozoic Era presumably were), it might have used its plates to soak up light from the sun during the day and dissipate extra body heat at night.

What are the spikes on a stegosaurus tail called?

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.

Why do stegosaurus have spikes on their tail?

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.

Which is the spiky tail weapon of Stegosaurus and its relatives?

The flail was common among long-necked sauropods like the Shunosaurus. On the tip of its tail were large fused bones that could be whipped in self-defense. Stegosaurus and its relatives had spiky, conical bones.

What do paleontologists believe were the arrangement and function of the plates of Stegosaurus Why?

what do paleontologists believe were the arrangement and function of the plates of stegosaurus? why? plates where used as solar panels to regulate body temp due to the vascularity of the plates.

What are the plates on a stegosaurus called?

Its 17 plates, called scutes, were made of a bony material called osteoderms but were not solid; they had lattice-like structures and blood vessels throughout.

What do you call the spikes on a dinosaur?

Some dinosaurs had large scale-like structures called osteoderms, arranged on their backs like a suit of armor. The Sauropelta, the ankylosaur with spines on its neck and shoulders, was also covered head-to-tail in armored osteoderms.

Did Stegosaurus have plates?

How many spikes did a Stegosaurus have?

Everybody knows that Stegosaurus had four tail spikes. The formidable weapons this odd dinosaur sported were some of its most prominent features. Yet, when Stegosaurus was new to science, it seemed as if this dinosaur bristled with even more spikes.

How are stegosaurus distinguished from Huayangosaurus?

In Huayangosaurus, the plates were more spike-like than in Stegosaurus. Like Stegosaurus, however, it bore two pairs of long spikes extending horizontally near the end of its tail. Huayangosaurus had several types of osteoderms. On its neck, back, and tail were two rows of paired small vertical plates and spikes.

What kind of dinosaur is a Stegosaurus?

See Article History. 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.

Why did Stegosaurus have spikes on its tail?

Instead, Stegosaurus likely used its plates for display purposes. “Showing off, species recognition, attracting mates — that sort of thing,” Carpenter explained. Stegosaurus also had spikes at the end of its flexible tail, which pointed outward from the sides.

Why did Stegosaurus have two parallel rows of plates?

Various hypotheses have attempted to explain the arrangement and use of the plates. Paleontologists had long thought that Stegosaurus had two parallel rows of plates, either staggered or paired, and that these afforded protection to the animal’s backbone and spinal cord. However, new discoveries and reexamination…

What kind of armor did Stegosaurus have?

In Stegosaurus stenops, these plates are close to pentagonal in shape, with the larger ones pointing slightly backward. These plates are highly modified osteoderms, similar to the tough scaly armor of crocodiles, and are covered with a vascularized keratin sheath.