What did the advantage of the spikes on Stegosaurus tail?

Stegosaurus evolved some adaptations to protect itself from predators. They used their tail spikes as a defensive mechanism against predators such as Allosaurus, Ceratosaurus, Torvosaurus, Marshosaurus, and Stokesosaurus (Foster 2007).

Why do dinosaurs have spikes on their backs?

The most obvious theory is to defend themselves against predators. Spines and spikes like these occur much more commonly on plant-eating dinosaurs, which would have needed some way to protect themselves from meat-eating carnivores that might try to make them into a snack.

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.

Did Stegosaurus shed plates?

Their plates were embedded under the skin, connected to the rest of the body with tendons. If they were shedding these plates, you’d find specimens with small and regrowing plates. You’d also find scattered, shed plates here and there just like you’d find tooth fossils.

What are Stegosaurus spikes called?

thagomizer
Among paleontologists, the four-spiked tail of Stegosaurus is called a “thagomizer.” It is one of a few terms inspired by one of Gary Larson’s beloved “Far Side” cartoons: a caveman points to a slide of a Stegosaurus tail and names the nasty-looking structure in honor of “the late Thag Simmons.” Humans and Stegosaurus …

What are the spines on a Stegosaurus 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.

How do we know Stegosaurus have spikes?

The plates of Stegosaurus are very broad and thin. They are covered in blood vessel pits, suggesting the animal could have pumped blood into the plates, perhaps allowing it to cool down. All of the different species of stegosaurs had different shaped plates and spikes, lending some credence to this theory.

Did dinosaurs have 2 Hearts?

There’s no evidence that dinosaurs of any sort had bizarre accessory hearts, but the idea has still played a small role in the ongoing investigation into how giant dinosaurs actually lived. To start, we have to go back to ancient bones and the ways in which paleontologists put them together.

Does compy have venom?

Compsognathus produces a mild venom from glands in the lower jaw. A compy’s strong jaws lock onto the victim and the venom is injected into the bloodstream via its small teeth, similar in fashion to a Gila monster.

Do T Rex have spikes?

The diagram below is an illustration of what the upper neck of the dinosaur may have looked like. It lived during the early Cretaceous, nearly 75 million years before the T. Rex. The dinosaur’s spikes were likely used to fend off predators and make it more difficult and deterring to attack.

What are the spikes on a stegosaurus called?

The professor points towards the spikes at the end of the tail and explains that they are called the “thagomizer”, after the late Thag Simmons. Presumably, caveman Thag Simmons had gone too close to the stegosaurus and was clubbed to death by its spiky tail.

What would happen if a stegosaur attacked from the top?

Any large, meat-eating dinosaur attacking from above would receive a mouthful of spikes if it tried to attack a stegosaur. And the spikes at the end of the stegosaur’s tail could be swung to impale the leg of any predator daring enough to get too close. What does the fossil record say about this?

What are the characteristics of a Stegosaurus?

These were large, heavily built, herbivorous quadrupeds with rounded backs, short fore limbs, long hind limbs, and tails held high in the air. Due to their distinctive combination of broad, upright plates and tail tipped with spikes, Stegosaurus is one of the most recognizable kinds of dinosaurs.

Why do some dinosaurs have spikes on their back?

A few leading theories have thus been suggested. One theory is that the rows of plates and spines were for defence. Any large, meat-eating dinosaur attacking from above would receive a mouthful of spikes if it tried to attack a stegosaur.