About Tuojiangosaurus
| Scientific Name (Genus) | Tuojiangosaurus |
| Meaning of Name | Lizard from the Tuo River (in China) Tuojiang (Tuo River) [place name] - sauros (lizard) [Greek] |
| Classification | Ornithischia, Thyreophora (Stegosauria, Stegosauridae) |
| Total Length | Approx. 7m |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Period | Late Jurassic (approx. 160 million years ago) |
| Sub-classification/Species | Tuojiangosaurus multispinus |
| Year of Paper Publication | 1977 |
| Publication | On the stegosaurian remains from Zigong (Tzekung), Szechuan province. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 15. by Z. Dong, X. Li, S. Zhou and Y. Zhang. 1977. |
Features
Tuojiangosaurus is a stegosaur discovered in China.
At least 15 pairs of bony plates were arranged in two rows along the back of Tuojiangosaurus. Unlike the wide, pentagonal plates of the North American Stegosaurus, the plates of Tuojiangosaurus were characteristically shorter, narrower, triangular, and sharply pointed.
And at the end of its tail, it had the powerful defensive weapon common to all stegosaurs: two pairs of four sharp bony spikes (commonly known as a thagomizer), which projected horizontally. It is thought to have defended itself from large predators like Yangchuanosaurus by swinging this tail from side to side.
Although their exact position was a mystery at the time of discovery, subsequent research has shown that a pair of very long spikes projected backward from above the shoulder blades. This "shoulder spike" is a feature found only in some stegosaurs, such as Kentrosaurus from Africa. The prevailing theories about its function are that it was for defensive armament to protect the sides of the body from enemy attacks, or for display to identify members of its species and attract mates.
Its forelimbs were short, and its head was lower to the ground compared to other stegosaurs, so it is presumed to have eaten low-growing plants near the ground.
The shoulder spikes are not reconstructed.
Tuojiangosaurus Stamp and Fossil Gallery
