| Dacentrurus Temporal range: Late Jurassic, 154–150 Ma |
|
|---|---|
| Holotype specimen, London | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Superorder: | Dinosauria |
| Order: | †Ornithischia |
| Suborder: | †Stegosauria |
| Family: | †Stegosauridae |
| Genus: | †Dacentrurus Lucas, 1902 |
| Species: | †D. armatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Dacentrurus armatus (Owen, 1875 [originally Omosaurus]) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
|
Dacentrurus ("very sharp tail"), originally known as Omosaurus, was a large stegosaur of the Late Jurassic Period (154 - 150 mya).
Contents |
This dinosaur measured around 8 metres (26 ft) in length.[1] It had paired triangular plates down its spine, with four pairs of spikes on the end of the tail. This configuration closely resembles that of its relative, Kentrosaurus (see also: thagomizer). Many books claim that Dacentrurus was a small stegosaur, when in fact finds such as a 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) pelvis (measured at the acetabula) suggest that Dacentrurus was among the largest of them. Although Dacentrurus is considered to have the same proportions as a Stegosaurus, Dacentrurus' plate and spike configuration is known to be rather different, as Dacentrurus has both two rows of small plates and two rows of longer spines along its back.[2] Its closest relative within Stegosauria is Miragaia, and the two are united in the subfamily Dacentrurinae.
When it was described by Richard Owen in 1875 as Omosaurus armatus, it was the first stegosaur ever discovered, although the genus name had to be changed as the name Omosaurus was preoccupied.
Other proposed species of Dacentrurus include D. durobrivensis (included with Lexovisaurus durobrivensis), D. phillipsi (sometimes mistakenly included with Priodontognathus phillipsi, due to having the same species name and a confused history), and D. vetustus (included with Lexovisaurus vetustus).
Fossil evidence has been found in Wiltshire and Dorset (including a vertebra ascribed to D. armatus in Weymouth[3]) in southern England, France and Spain and five more historically recent skeletons from Portugal.
Eggs attributed to Dacentrurus have also been discovered in Portugal.