Jurassic
Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus stenops
The catalogue presents Stegosaurus as a herbivore member of Stegosauridae that lived during the Jurassic, between 156.3–145.0 Ma. Its estimated range is 7.0–9.0 m in length and 2.3–5.3 t in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Garden Park, Morrison Formation, Colorado, USA. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.
Evidence-backed summary
For Stegosaurus, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Marsh (1877).
The PBDB places it in Stegosaurinae, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Stegosauridae.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Stegosauridae
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range runs from the Oxfordian to the Cenomanian.
The PBDB catalogues 9 occurrences, with material from the Morrison Formation (9). Provenance: United States.
The catalogue records the holotype as YPM 1853 and the type locality as “Morrison Formation, Colorado, USA”.
- YPM 1853
- Morrison Formation, Colorado, USA
The catalogue's reference measurements are 7.0–9.0 m in length and 2.3–5.3 t in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 7.0-9.0 m
- 2.3-5.3 tons
The record gathers 131 bibliographic references registered in the PBDB, listed below.
Where it lived
Fossil occurrences on today’s map and in the tectonic reconstruction.
Positions reconstructed by PBDB/GPlates, not observed; this is not an exact habitat map.
Artistic reconstruction · speculative details
Soft tissues and colours are speculative; the external form is an artistic interpretation.
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Physical Specifications
- Length
- 7.0–9.0 m
- Weight
- 2.3–5.3 t
- Period
- Jurassic
- Time range
- 156.3–145.0 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 1877
- Described by
- Othniel Charles Marsh
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Ornithischia
- Family
- Stegosauridae
- Genus
- Stegosaurus
- Species
- S. stenops
Data status
Taxonomic name matched to PBDB and checked on 2026-08-08.
Taxonomic linkage does not automatically validate size, mass, behaviour or appearance.
- Type specimen
- USNM 4934
- Type locality
- Garden Park, Morrison Formation, Colorado, USA