Stegosaurus fossil map
Where fossils of Stegosaurus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 145 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 145 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Stegosaurs & ankylosaurs |
|---|---|
| Lived | 161.5–93.9 million years ago (Oxfordian to Cenomanian) |
| Periods | Jurassic, Cretaceous |
| Family | Stegosauridae |
| Named by | Marsh 1877 |
| Fossil records | 86 occurrences at 59 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Portugal, China |
| Rock formations | Morrison, Alcobaça, Cedar Mountain, Praia da Amoreira-Porto Novo, Upper |
About Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus (; lit. 'roof-lizard') is a genus of extinct 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 individual animals of this genus have been found. Stegosaurus would have lived alongside dinosaurs such as Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, Camarasaurus and Allosaurus, the latter of which may have preyed on it.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Stegosaurus (revision 1380821913), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q14388.
