Stegosaurus vs. Kentrosaurus: What Is the Difference?

When studying dinosaur species, paleontologists sort dinosaurs into categories and subcategories based on key taxonomic qualities, such as skeletal features, shared ancestry, behaviors, and more. The Kentrosaurus and Stegosaurus are two species that fall within the Stegosauria subgroup, which is a part of the larger group known as Thyreophora. All dinosaurs within this group were quadrupedal and herbivorous, and they had distinctive body armor. But although Stegosaurus and Kentrosaurus had various similarities, they were far from the same. Let’s explore the differences between these two beasts!

Stegosaurus

The Stegosaurus is one of the most well-known dinosaurs, partially thanks to pop culture. Fossil records show that the Stegosaurus lived in what is now the USA during the late Jurassic period. Interestingly, this beast’s name means “roof lizard” and comes from the fact that during early discovery, scientists assumed that its back plates lay flat rather than upright.

Although scientists don’t know for sure, the Stegosaurus may have used the four sharp spikes on its tail as a natural weapon to swing at predators. Additionally, in terms of size, the Stegosaurus was around 30 feet long and weighed around 11,000 pounds.

Kentrosaurus

The Kentrosaurus was an armored dinosaur that lived in the late Jurassic in what is now Tanzania. This beast could weigh anywhere from 2,200 to 6,600 pounds and was roughly 15 feet long by adulthood. Most paleontologists suspect that Allosaurus and Ceratosaurus would have hunted it, given where it lived.

Moreover, the Kentrosaurus had a double row of plates running from its neck down its back. This dinosaur also had spikes coming out from its hips and tail, which it may have used for self-defense.

The Key Differences

The key differences between Stegosaurus and Kentrosaurus come down to their respective sizes, number of spikes, and tails. The Stegosaurus was the larger of the two, as it was nearly twice as big as the Kentrosaurus and had larger plates along its back. However, the Kentrosaurus had a deadlier tail since the spikes were longer and sharper than those of the Stegosaurus.

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