Stegosaurus

## General

* Alt
* JP Institute

**Stegosaurus** is easily one of the best known dinosaurs and is recognized all over the world. It is the largest and most famous member of the stegosaur family. It roamed the open plains of the Late Jurassic Period in what is now North America. The plates along its back, its small head and spiked tail make it a peculiar and unique dinosaur. This plant-eater evolved to find its food in the low-growing plants of the late Jurassic. The spikes on its tail would have made a powerful weapon against any hungry predators.

Stegosaurus is often called the dumbest dinosaur because of its incredibly small brain. In fact, most scientists originally believed that its brain was too small to control such a large creature and that it used an auxiliary "brain" located above its rear legs to help control its movements. This was not actually a brain, but a bundle of nerves that helped relay information from its real brain. Its brain was once thought to have been the size of a walnut, but CAT-scans proved that it was actually the size of a kitten.

Most fascinating to people are the plates along its back. There has been a great deal of debate about their use and arrangement. The plates were up to 2-feet tall and 2-feet wide (.6 meters). The most prevalent theory is that they were used for cooling or heating the animal. A more recent theory, however, suggests that they could have been used as a display during courtship and that they may have been brightly colored. It is also possible that they could move up and down, perhaps to intimidate predators.

The spikes on its tail are also the subjects of some controversy. For years, every model of Stegosaurus showed it with the spikes sticking up into the air. It is only since the 1990s that it has become accepted that these spikes stuck out horizontal to the ground, which would have been a potent defensive weapon when swung at a hunter.[1]

Stegosaurus would have lived in family groups and herds, moving slowly through forests while eating the low-growing plants. Its front legs were considerably shorter than it's hind legs, making it adapted to nibbling the plants closest to the ground. Stegosaurus is the namesake for a large family of dinosaurs whose members were found all over the world. The Stegosaurus (its code name "Stego") was a peaceful herbivore and probably roamed the prehistoric highlands in herds that size from small to large numbers, grazing on low ground plants. An average Stegosaurus was about the size of an elephant, standing about 11 feet tall. It had a very low intelligence (its brain was the size of a kitten). The bony plates on it's back may have served a dual purpose of a body temperature regulation and protection from large flesh-eating predators. Different species varied in the number of plates on their backs.

## Description

*Stegosaurus* are strange animals, with hind legs nearly twice as long as their front legs and shorter necks than their prehistoric ancestors. They have a row of distinctive 17 plates running down their tails where it ends in 4 spikes known as thagomizers. Their heads are slim, with beaks on the end.

## Description

* Variant 1
* Variant 2

Variant 1 *Stegosaurus* most distinctive feature is it's large size, being larger than *Tyrannosaurs* in some individuals, far larger than any known *Stegosaurus*. These variants are green, with brown plates with paler centers. The young had smaller plates and thagomizers than the adults by the time they were nearly as large as a human. They keep their tails high above the ground.

## Behavior

These *Stegosaurus* are very social, traveling in herds while searching for food. They are also very uncaring towards other animals, but if their young are threatened they will offensively attack that creature until they consider the threat neutralized.

## Description

These *Stegosaurus* are around the size of the species *Stegosaurus stenops*. Unlike the real animal or it's cloned counterpart, this variant can occasionally hold it's tail low, nearly dragging on the ground. The coloration is dark tan with olive green on some parts and brownish black plates, with a lighter cream stripe in the middle. Some individuals have also been observed as green with beaks blended into the skin. By the time they were nearly as large as a human they would have fully developed plates.

## Behavior

These *Stegosaurus* prefer to be loners, but will live in herds if necessary. They are rather territorial towards humans, but will live happily alongside other dinosaur species and gyrospheres.
## History

### Jurassic Park

Eleven *Stegosaurus* were recreated on Isla Sorna for Jurassic Park, but never made it to Isla Nublar before Hurricane Clarissa forced Ingen to evacuate the island. One herd was encountered in the 1997 Incident, where Sarah Harding was documenting them, before petting a subadult. Unfortunately Sarah's camera malfunctioned, startling the baby and causing it's parents to run to it's defense, but after their initial attempts to kill her decided the threat had passed and left Sarah. *Stegosaurus* survived until 2001, when the populations of all of Isla Sorna's animals dropped due to the illegal species forcing new competition on them. If any *Stegosaurus* survived past this point they would of been moved Isla Nublar for Jurassic World.

### Jurassic World

*Stegosaurus* were recreated again for Jurassic World. These clones were used in multiple attractions, including Gyrosphere Valley and Cretaceous Cruise along with several juveniles in the Gentle Giants Petting Zoo. These *Stegosaurus* were released when the *Indominus rex* broke out and caused the 2015 Incident which forced the park to close.

### Post Jurassic World

The *Stegosaurus* populations have remained consistent throughout the three-year time span Isla Nublar was abandoned, but were threatened when Mount Sibo showed signs of erupting. Several *Stegosaurus* were captured, with at least one unfortunate individual having a tooth pulled out. Once they got to the Lockwood Manor, one was sold. The remaining *Stegosaurus* were threatened yet again when toxic hydrogen cyanide was released into the cage area. These individuals were later freed by Maisie Lockwood and are now loose in the wilds of California. A Stegosaurus was seen walking across a road, a driver tried to dodge the dinosaur but fell off the edge. It’s unknown if they are breeding or if they are traveling in groups.