Tag Archives: Stegosaurus

Paleontologists Unveil Europe’s Most Complete Stegosaurus Skull

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Paleontologists discovered dinosaur skull fragments within the Upper Jurassic Villard Alzobispo layer in Teruel, Spain, and confidently identified them as belonging to the species Centegosaurus dacentrurus armatus.

Skull of dacentrurus armatus from the Villard Alzobispo Formation in Teruel, Spain. Image credit: S. Sánchez-Fenollosa & A. Cobos, doi: 10.3897/vz.75.e146618.

The name Stegosauria was first introduced in 1877, with the initial reference to dacentrurus armatus occurring two years later.

Stegosauria constitutes a small clade of theropod dinosaurs, featuring iconic and recognizable representatives such as the genus Stegosaurus.

These dinosaurs were characterized by two rows of bony skin (plates and spines), extending principally from the neck to the tail’s edge.

Stegosaur fossils date from the Middle Jurassic through the Late Cretaceous, and they are generally represented by a limited number of partial skeletons worldwide.

Skull remains of stegosaurs are often fragmentary and infrequently found in the fossil record.

Nearly half of today’s scientifically recognized stegosaur species lack preserved skull material.

A recent study by Fundación Dinópolis paleontologists Sergio Sánchez Fenollosa and Alberto Cobos focused on the skull of dacentrurus armatus, a type of stegosaurus that roamed Europe approximately 150 million years ago.

Life reconstruction of dacentrurus armatus. Image credit: Sci.News.

“A comprehensive study of this extraordinary fossil has revealed anatomical features previously unknown in dacentrurus armatus, a typical European stegosaurus,” noted Dr. Sanchez Fenollosa.

“Dinosaur skulls are seldom preserved due to their extreme fragility.”

“This discovery is crucial for understanding the evolution of stegosaur skulls.”

Additionally, alongside detailed anatomical studies, we proposed a new hypothesis that redefines evolutionary relationships among stegosaurs worldwide.”

“This research has established a new grouping termed Neostegosauria.”

According to the team, Neostegosauria includes moderate to large stegosaur species that existed in Africa and Europe during the Middle to Late Jurassic, as well as Late Jurassic and Late Cretaceous Asia.

“This dual outcome represents both a remarkable fossil study and the proposal of new evolutionary theories, positioning our work as a key reference in stegosaur research,” remarked Dr. Cobos.

“The fossil site at Riodeva remains a subject of ongoing research and holds many related fossils, including additional postcranial elements from the same adult specimen, particularly rare combinations of this dinosaur type.”

“These findings are significantly enhancing the paleontological heritage of Teruel, making it a central region for understanding life’s evolution on Earth.”

The team’s research paper was published in the journal Vertebrate Zoology on May 26, 2025.

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S. Sánchez-Fenollosa & A. Cobos. 2025. New insights into the phylogeny and skull evolution of the stegosaur dinosaur: an extraordinary skull from the late Jurassic (Dinosaur: Stegosauria) in Europe. Vertebrate Zoology 75:165-189; doi:10.3897/vz.75.e146618

Source: www.sci.news

Record-breaking auction sees Stegosaurus skeleton sold for $44 million

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summary

  • A nearly complete stegosaurus skeleton sold at auction on Wednesday for a record-breaking $44.6 million.
  • Sotheby’s, which handled the auction, said the fossil was the best-preserved specimen of a stegosaurus of its size ever found.
  • The identity of the buyer was not made public.

A nearly complete 150-million-year-old stegosaurus skeleton sold at auction on Wednesday for a record-breaking $44.6 million.

Sotheby’s, which handled the New York auction, described the fossil as the “most complete” and “best-preserved” stegosaurus specimen of its size ever found. The massive skeleton, measuring 11 feet tall and 20 feet long, has been nicknamed “Apex.”

Dinosaur fossils It's estimated to be worth $6 million. But the price far exceeded expectations, setting a new world record for a fossil at auction after a bidding war that lasted more than 15 minutes, according to Sotheby’s representative Anna Tisci.

The identity of the buyer was not made public.

According to Sotheby’s, Apex’s skeleton was unearthed in 2022 near the town of Dinosaur in Moffat County, Colorado, on the private property of a paleontologist who discovered it but will remain anonymous. The bones were found in the Morrison Formation of sedimentary rock, which is centered in Colorado and Wyoming and extends to parts of 11 other states.

The auction house said the fossil was found with no other specimens nearby and no signs of injury, adding that signs of arthritis suggested the stegosaurus may have lived to an advanced age.

“Apex marks an enormous milestone as one of the finest fossils of its kind ever unearthed,” said Cassandra Hutton, Sotheby’s global head of science and popular culture. It said in a statement “Stegosaurus is one of the most widely known dinosaurs, and its unmistakable silhouette has fascinated and amazed people for generations,” the release said in a statement ahead of the sale.

Stegosaurus is a four-legged, armored dinosaur best known for the distinctive line of kite-shaped plates on its back.

The pointy-tailed dinosaurs lived during the Late Jurassic period, between about 155 million and 145 million years ago.

Another nearly complete stegosaurus fossil, known as Sophie, is housed at the Natural History Museum in London, but Apex’s skeleton is more than 30 percent larger, according to Sotheby’s.

The previous record for the most expensive fossil sold at auction was set in 2020 when a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton named “Stan” sold for $31.8 million.

The first dinosaur sold at auction was the now famous “Sue the T-Rex“The Great Gatsby” was auctioned in 1997 and purchased by the Field Museum in Chicago, where the painting is on display, for $8.4 million.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Stegosaurus: Uncovering a new species

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Chinese paleontologists have discovered fossil fragments of a new genus and species of stegosaur dinosaur. Bayinosaurus baojiensis.

Reconstructing your life Gigantespinosaurus (Lower foreground), a newly discovered sister species of Stegosaurus Bayinosaurus baojiensisand other dinosaurs discovered in the ShaxiMiao Formation. Image by A. Belov / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Bayinosaurus baojiensis It roamed the Earth during the Middle Jurassic period, about 165 million years ago.

This dinosaur species is StegosaursA group of herbivorous armoured dinosaurs that lived in the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

Stegosaurus reached a maximum length of about 9 metres (30 feet). It had a small head with peg-like teeth, vertical bone plates and spines on its back and tail, and hoof-like toes on all four limbs.

“Stegosaurus is a minor but iconic lineage of ornithischian dinosaurs, but its early evolution remains poorly understood due to a poor fossil record,” said Dr Li Ning from China University of Geosciences and his colleagues.

“These dinosaurs are characterized by having two parasagittal rows of enlarged dermal armor plates and/or spines that extend from the neck to the tip of the tail, and have been found on every continent except Antarctica and Australia.”

“The earliest stegosaurs date to the Middle Jurassic and were distributed worldwide by the Late Jurassic, after which diversity declined during the Early Cretaceous.”

“Middle Jurassic stegosaurs are rarely recorded, with only five species. Loricatosaurus From the UK, Isabelisaura From Argentina, Adorati Krit From Morocco and Huayangosaurus and Bashanosaurus From China.”

Partial skeleton of Bayinosaurus baojiensis The fossil, consisting of a partial skull, one cervical vertebra, seven dorsal vertebrae, and one caudal vertebra, Wangjiashan Formation.

“The study area is located in the northwestern part of the Baojishan Basin, Pingchuan District, Baiyin City, Gansu Province, China,” the paleontologists said.

“The Baojishan Basin is located at the eastern end of the Qilian Mountains.”

According to the team's systematic analysis, Bayinosaurus baojiensis is an early diverging stegosaur, Isabelisaura, Alcovasaurus, Junjunosaurus and Gigantespinosaurus.

“Bayinosaurus baojiensis “This dinosaur possesses several protoplasmic features and represents a morphological transition between early ostracods and the early-diverging stegosaurs,” the researchers say.

“The increased diversity of Middle Jurassic stegosaurs and their early divergence position suggest that stegosaurs likely diverged from their sister taxon, the ankylosaurs, in the early Middle Jurassic (or possibly much earlier).”

of study Published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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L. Nin others2024. A new species of stegosaur (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) discovered from the Middle Jurassic of Gansu Province, China. Scientific Reports 14, 15241; doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-66280-x

Source: www.sci.news

A newly discovered Stegosaurus species had distinctive skin armor

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A new genus and species of stegosaur from the Middle Jurassic period has been identified from fossilized posterior skulls discovered in the Middle Atlas Mountains, south of Fez, Morocco.

Artist’s impression Tireosaurus atlasix. Image credit: Sci.News.

Tireosaurus atlasix lived in North Africa during the middle Jurassic period, about 165 million years ago.

This species is closely related to Dakentrulus members of the clade Dacenturinae within the Tyreophoran dinosaur family Stegosauridae.

Dr. Mostafa Oukas of Casablanca’s Universidad Hassan II and his colleagues said, “Thireophora is a diverse clade of herbivorous ornithischians consisting of stegosaurs, sclerosaurs, and basal types.”

“Thyleophorans have an extensive fossil record spanning from the Early Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous and are best known from well-preserved specimens from Laurasia.”

“In contrast, fossil remains are poorly known in Gondwana, and most of them are partial,” the researchers added.

“In Africa, thyreophorans may have been present since the Early Middle Jurassic.”

“Stegosaur body fossils have been recorded from the Middle Jurassic of Morocco, the Late Jurassic of Tanzania, and the Early Cretaceous of South Africa.”

“African ankylosaurs are represented by Spicomerus afar from Morocco during the Middle Jurassic period.”

divided partial skeleton Tireosaurus atlasix found in gray marl. El Mars III formation is located in the northern part of the Bourafa region near Bourmane, in the Atlas region of central Morocco.

“In 2021, during a geological mapping mission south of Bourmane, we discovered a new site rich in dinosaur remains in the El Mars III Formation,” the paleontologists said.

“This site, named Bourafa North, is located north of the Bourafa quarry.”

“This material was collected during several consecutive field trips and consists of the posterior skull of a stegosaur, including dorsal vertebrae and ribs, limb bones, and skin armor.”

According to the team: Tireosaurus atlasix had a strange asymmetrical skin armor, unique among stegosaurs.

“Dermal armor is Tireosaurus atlasix “It is composed of up to 4 cm (1.6 in) thick bone oval to subrectangular shaped osteoderms,” ​​the researchers said.

“The asymmetrical texture of the sides, with one side roughly decorated with small holes and strands of fibers and the other with a distinct cross-hatch pattern, is unlike anything previously observed in other stegosaurs and sclerosaurs. It’s clearly different.”

“The bone histology of these osteoderms is reminiscent of the histology of stegosaur tail spines.”

“These osteoderms are interpreted to have been placed in a lying position on the animal’s body, rather than in an upright position.”

Tireosaurus atlasix was estimated to be over 6 meters (19.7 feet) long.

“The axial features indicate that this specimen belongs to a medium- to large-sized stegosaur,” the scientists said.

“The holotype corresponds to an adult individual that has not yet reached its maximum body size.”

discovery of Tireosaurus atlasix is important in understanding the evolutionary history of stegosaurs and other thyreophora dinosaurs.

“Recent discoveries are adraticrit and Tireosaurus atlasix “We provide insight into the early evolution of stegosaurs during the Middle Jurassic of Africa,” the authors concluded.

of findings appear in the diary Gondwana research.

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Omar Zafati other. 2024. A new stegosaur dinosaur (Ornithischian: Thyreophora) with prominent cutaneous armor that lived during the Middle Jurassic period of North Africa. Gondwana research 131: 344-362; doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2024.03.009

Source: www.sci.news

New Species of Stegosaurus discovered by Paleontologists

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in new paper Published in the magazine on January 31, 2024 historical biologypaleontologists announced the discovery of a previously undocumented species of dinosaur related to the famous dinosaur. stegosaurus.

Hypothetical reconstruction of Enbokuryu Artimus. Image credit: Ddinodan / Sci.News.

stegosaurus A group of armored, plant-eating dinosaurs that lived during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

These dinosaurs were four-legged and reached a maximum length of about 9 meters (30 feet).

They had small heads, stake-like teeth, vertical bony plates and spines on their backs and tails, and hoof-like toes on all four limbs.

Dr. Lei Jia of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and colleagues said, “Stegosaurs are a minor but iconic group of ornithischian dinosaurs.''

“They range from the Middle Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous, but are rare and poorly represented in the Cretaceous.”

“Until our study began, there were only four valid taxa from the Cretaceous. Palantdon, Verhosaurus homheni, Verhosaurus ordoseensis and Mongolostegus exspectabilis”

Fossilized bones are Enbokuryu Artimus. Image credit: Jia other., doi: 10.1080/08912963.2024.2308214.

A new species from the Cretaceous period, Enbokuryu Artimuslived in what is now China from 113 million years ago to 100 million years ago.

The fossilized remains of this sword dragon were collected from the Zuoyun Formation in Zuoyun County, Shanxi Province, China.

“Enbokuryu Artimus “This is one of the most recent records of a stegosaur taxon in the world,” the paleontologists said.

“Compared to other sword dragons, Enbokuryu Artimus The dorsal vertebrae and iliosacral block have several unique features. ”

“The dorsal vertebrae have higher neural arches, smaller neural canals, and fewer fused vertebrae/sacral and fenestra/sacral ribs in the iliosacral block.”

“As a result of phylogenetic analysis, Enbokuryu Artimus It is recovered as a sister taxon of the clade containing. Stegosaurus Stenops and Vuelhosaurus homheni” they added.

“However, it differs from these two taxa in several anatomical features, including the dorsal sacral ribs, sacral ribs, caudal vertebrae, and ilium.”

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Ray Jia other. A new species of sword dragon from the Late Early Cretaceous period of Zuoyun City, Shanxi Province, China. historical biology, published online on January 31, 2024. doi: 10.1080/08912963.2024.2308214

Source: www.sci.news