Stegosauria

Stegosaurus (; ) is a genus of herbivorous four-legged armored dinosaurs from the Late Jurassic, characterized by the distinctive kite-shaped upright plates along their backs and spikes on their tails. Fossils of the genus have been found in the western United States and in Portugal, where they are found in Kimmeridgian- to Tithonian-aged strata, dating to between 155 and 145 million years ago. Of the species that have been classified in the upper Morrison Formation of the western US, only three are universally recognized: S. stenops, S. ungulatus and S. sulcatus. The remains of over 80 i

Kentrosaurus ( ; ) is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur from the Late Jurassic in Lindi Region of Tanzania. The type species is K. aethiopicus, named and described by German palaeontologist Edwin Hennig in 1915. Often thought to be a "primitive" member of the Stegosauria, several recent cladistic analyses find it as more derived than many other stegosaurs, and a close relative of Stegosaurus from the North American Morrison Formation within the Stegosauridae.

Stegosauria is a group of herbivorous ornithischian dinosaurs that lived during the Jurassic and early Cretaceous periods. Stegosaurian fossils have been found mostly in the Northern Hemisphere (North America, Europe and Asia), Africa and South America. Although their geographical origins are unclear, the earliest unequivocal stegosaurians are known from the Middle Jurassic (Bajocian-Bathonian stages), including Adratiklit, Bashanosaurus, Isaberrysaura and Thyreosaurus.

Tuojiangosaurus (meaning "Tuo River lizard") is a genus of herbivorous stegosaurian dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Period, recovered from the Upper Shaximiao Formation of what is now Sichuan Province in China.

Huayangosaurus is a genus of stegosaurian dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of China. The name derives from "Huayang" (華陽), an alternate name for Sichuan (the province where it was discovered), and "saurus", meaning "lizard". It lived during the Bathonian to Callovian stages, around 165 million years ago, some 20 million years before its famous relative, Stegosaurus appeared in North America. At only approximately long, it was also much smaller than its famous cousin. Found in the Lower Shaximiao Formation, Huayangosaurus shared the local Middle Jurassic landscape with the sauropods Shunosauru

Wuerhosaurus is an extinct genus of stegosaurine stegosaur dinosaurs from the Early Cretaceous of China. The genus contains two species, Wuerhosaurus homheni, the type species named in 1973, and Wuerhosaurus ordosensis, named in 1993. It is one of the youngest (most recent) known stegosaurs in the fossil record, alongside Mongolostegus and Yanbeilong.

Dacentrurus (meaning "tail full of points") is an extinct genus of stegosaurian dinosaur from the Late Jurassic and perhaps Early Cretaceous (154–140 million years ago) of Europe. Its type species, D. armatus, was named in 1875 as Omosaurus armatus, based on a skeleton found in a clay pit in the Kimmeridge Clay in Swindon, England. In 1902 the genus was renamed Dacentrurus because the name Omosaurus had already been used for a phytosaur in 1856. After 1875, half a dozen other species would be named but perhaps only Dacentrurus armatus is valid.

Hesperosaurus (from Ancient Greek ἕσπερος (hésperos), meaning "western", and σαῦρος (saûros), meaning "lizard") is a herbivorous stegosaurian dinosaur from the Kimmeridgian age of the Jurassic period, approximately 156 million years ago.

genus of reptiles (fossil)

Lexovisaurus is a genus of stegosaurian dinosaur known from limb bones and armor fragments from Middle to Late Jurassic-aged strata of Europe.

Chungkingosaurus (meaning "Chongqing Lizard") is a genus of stegosaurian dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Upper Shaximiao Formation in what is now China. The type species is Chungkingosaurus jiangbeiensis.

Chialingosaurus (meaning "Chialing Lizard") is a genus of herbivorous stegosaurian dinosaur similar to Kentrosaurus from the Upper Shaximiao Formation, Late Jurassic beds in Sichuan Province in China. Its age makes it one of the oldest species of stegosaurs, living about 160 million years ago. Since it was an herbivore, scientists think that Chialingosaurus probably ate ferns and cycads, which were plentiful during the period when Chialingosaurus was alive.

Gigantspinosaurus () is a genus of stegosaurian dinosaur from the Late Jurassic (Oxfordian) Upper Shaximiao Formation of China. The type species is Gigantspinosaurus sichuanensis. It was a moderately sized member of the group, measuring up to in length.

Paranthodon ( ) is a genus of stegosaurian dinosaur that lived in what is now South Africa during the Early Cretaceous, between 139 and 131 million years ago. Discovered in 1845, it was one of the first stegosaurians found. Its only remains, a partial skull, isolated teeth, and fragments of vertebrae, were found in the Kirkwood Formation.

Adratiklit (meaning "mountain lizard") is an extinct genus of stegosaurian dinosaur that lived on the supercontinent Gondwana during the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian age). The genus contains a single species, Adratiklit boulahfa. Its remains were found in the El Mers III Formation, near Boulemane in north Morocco.

Monkonosaurus (meaning "Monkon lizard") is a dubious genus of herbivorous stegosaurian dinosaur from the Late Jurassic/Early Cretaceous-aged Loe-ein Formation of Tibet (or the Early Cretaceous Lura Formation of China). Some sources place it as alive during the Oxfordian - Albian stages, around 163 - 100 million years ago, although Monkonosaurus was probably only alive during the Late Jurassic (163 – 152.1 ± 0.9 million years ago), making it among the earliest known stegosaurs along with Chungkingosaurus and Bashanosaurus.

thumb|Thagomizer on a mounted Stegosaurus tail A thagomizer () is the distinctive arrangement of spike-shaped osteoderms on the tails of some stegosaurian dinosaurs. These spikes are believed to have been a defensive measure against predators.

Alcovasaurus is an extinct genus of herbivorous stegosaurian dinosaurs that lived in the Late Jurassic. It was found in the Morrison Formation of Wyoming, United States. The genus contains a single species, Alcovasaurus longispinus, originally assigned to the genus Stegosaurus. It is likely a member of the Dacentrurinae, and has been referred to the genus Miragaia by some authors.

Regnosaurus (meaning "Sussex lizard") is an extinct genus of herbivorous presumably armored dinosaur known from the early Cretaceous Wealden Formation of England. The genus contains a single species, Regnosaurus northamptoni, known from a single partial jaw bone. Regnosaurus has traditionally been regarded as a stegosaur, possibly related to the Jurassic Huayangosaurus of China. Later research considers it to be a dubious, indeterminate thyreophoran.

Jiangjunosaurus is an extinct genus of herbivorous stegosaurian dinosaurs from the Oxfordian-age (Upper Jurassic) Shishugou Formation of the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, China.

Craterosaurus (meaning krater reptile or bowl reptile) is a dubious genus of stegosaurian dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous (possibly Aptian stage) of the Woburn Sands Formation of England. Estimated to measure around in length and weighing approximately , Craterosaurus may actually be a junior synonym of Regnosaurus, but only one fossil, a partial vertebra, was recovered.

Bashanosaurus (meaning "Bashan lizard") is an extinct genus of stegosaurian dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian age) Shaximiao Formation of Yunyang County, China. The genus contains a single species, Bashanosaurus primitivus, known from incomplete skeletons belonging to three individuals. It is one of the basalmost stegosaurs, as well as one of the oldest known stegosaurs, along with Adratiklit, Isaberrysaura, and Thyreosaurus.

Loricatosaurus (meaning "armored lizard") is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur known from Callovian-aged (Middle Jurassic) rocks of England and France.

Yingshanosaurus (meaning "Yingshan lizard") is an extinct genus of stegosaurian dinosaurs from the Middle Jurassic of what is now Southwestern China. It is known from a partial skeleton discovered in 1983, including back, sacrum, and tail vertebrae, forelimb and hindlimb bones, shoulder and hip bones, and several osteoderms, including plates and a shoulder spine. The genus contains a single species, Yingshanosaurus jichuanensis, named and described in 1994. For some time after its discovery and scientific description, many paleontologists were unaware of the Chinese research published on it an

Baiyinosaurus (meaning "Baiyin reptile") is an extinct genus of stegosaurian dinosaurs from the Middle Jurassic Wangjiashan Formation of China. The genus contains a single species, B. baojiensis, known from a partial skeleton including cranial bones. The skeletal anatomy of Baiyinosaurus demonstrates transitional features between basal thyreophorans and stegosaurs. While many stegosaurs are known from China, Baiyinosaurus is the only one currently named from Gansu Province.

Yanbeilong (meaning "north of Yanmen Pass dragon") is an extinct genus of stegosaurian dinosaurs from the Early Cretaceous (Albian age) Zuoyun Formation of Shanxi, China. The genus contains a single species, Yanbeilong ultimus, known from a single partial skeleton including several vertebrae and the pelvic girdle. It is one of the youngest known stegosaurs, alongside Mongolostegus from Mongolia and unnamed stegosaurine remains from the Hekou Group of China, both of which date to the Aptian–Albian ages.

Isaberrysaura is an extinct genus of stegosaurian ornithischian dinosaurs from the Middle Jurassic Los Molles Formation of Patagonia, Argentina. The genus contains a single species, I. mollensis, described by Salgado in 2017 based on a single specimen. Although initially classified as a basal neornithischian, subsequent analyses have allied it with the Stegosauria as the morphology of its skull resembles those of other members of the group.

Mongolostegus (meaning "Mongolian roof") is an extinct genus of stegosaurian dinosaurs from the Early Cretaceous (Aptian–Albian ages) Dzunbain Formation of Mongolia. The genus contains a single species, Mongolostegus exspectabilis, known from a fragmentary single specimen representing the first stegosaur named from Mongolia. It is one of the youngest known stegosaurs, along with Yanbeilong and an unnamed species from the Hekou Group of China. In contrast to these taxa, which are members of the late-diverging stegosaur subfamily Stegosaurinae, Mongolostegus may have affinities to more basal tax

Thyreosaurus is an extinct genus of stegosaurian dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic El Mers III Formation of Morocco. The genus contains a single species, Thyreosaurus atlasicus, known from a partial disarticulated skeleton consisting of several dorsal vertebrae, ribs, a limb bone, and dermal bones. Thyreosaurus is characterized by a unique dermal armor with an asymmetrical texture, indicating that it may have been recumbent. Alongside Adratiklit, Thyreosaurus increases the diversity of unique stegosaurs occurring in the Middle Jurassic of Africa.

Hypsirhophus (meaning "high roof"; often misspelled "Hypsirophus") is a genus of stegosaurian dinosaurs. It contains a single species, Hypsirhophus discurus, which is known only from a fragmentary specimen. The fossil consists of partial vertebrae from the back, three from the tail, and a piece of rib.