Skip to main content

Kentrosaurus

Kentrosaurus aethiopicus
Meet the Kentrosaurus, a member of the Stegosaurus family whose fossils have been found exclusively in the African country of Tanzania.

Kentrosaurus lived during the Late Jurassic, between 155 and 150 million years ago. They were smaller members of the Stegosauridae family, and only measured around 15ft from head to tail. Kentrosaurus had hind legs that were longer than their front legs, which means they fed primarily on low lying vegetation. These Dinosaurs were herbivores, possibly traveled in herds, and were most likely not very intelligent (very small brain size compared to body size).

This Dinosaur had a double row of bony plates that ran from the head to the mid back. No one is especially sure what the plates were used for-- temperature control and for mating displays are two theories. Where the plates end, a double row of long spikes begins. There were most likely used for defensive purposes. The name "Kentrosaurus" is actually inspired by those spikes-- Kentron is Greek for "point" or "prickle."

I can't talk about Kentrosaurus without mentioning some of the history surrounding their discovery. The first fossils were uncovered by a German team in 1909, and over the following years around 1,200 bones were dug up and sent back to Germany. Unfortunately, many of these bones (around 70%!) were destroyed during World War II. All of the remaining material is located in Berlin and Tubingen, so if you are interested in checking out some Kentrosaurus fossils, you know where to go!

Status : Extinct since the Late Jurassic, around 150 million years
Location : Found in Tanzania
Size : Length around 15ft (4.5m)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : †Ornithischia
Family : †Stegosauridae -- Genus : †Kentrosaurus -- Species : †K. aethiopicus

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a...

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status :  Not Listed ...

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!