Tuojiangosaurus
Tuojiangosaurus multispinus
Pronounced: twoh - Jang - o - sore - us
Diet: Herbivore (plant-eater)
Name Means: "Tuojiang River Lizard"
Length: 23
Height: 7
Weight: unknown
Time: Late Jurassic - 153 m.y.a
Fossil remains for this Dinosaur have been found in
Asia
Tuojiangosaurus
is the best
known member of
the stegosaur
family that has
been found in
China. This
plant eater
looked a lot
like its better
known North
American
relative,
Stegosaurus
The most obvious
difference is
that the plates
along its back
are smaller that
those on
Stegosaurus
These dinosaurs
were designed to
eat plants that
grew low to the
ground. The
long, sharp
spikes on its
tail would have
been a powerful
weapon against
attackers.
First discovered in 1974 in the fossil-rich Zigong area of China, Tuojiangosaurus is known from two specimens, one of which was more than 50% complete. The plates along its back form two distinct rows and are much smaller and more pointed that those of Stegosaurus It shares a number of similarities with another Chinese stegosaur, Kentrosaurus including pointed spike-like plates above its hips. |
