Stegosaurus Anatomy in 3D: Skeleton, Organs, Plates and Tail Spikes

Stegosaurus was a bus-length plant-eater with tall plates along its back and four spikes on its tail. In the 3D Dinosaur Anatomy simulator you can turn it around, look inside to find its surprisingly small brain and explore its skeleton.

Open Stegosaurus in 3D All 10 dinosaursHear the Stegosaurus
Inside view of Stegosaurus in the VisionVix 3D Dinosaur Anatomy simulatorExplore in 3D
The Stegosaurus inside view, with the skin peeled back to show the organs. Click the picture to open it live.

Three ways to see Stegosaurus

Stegosaurus full body in 3DFull bodyStegosaurus inside in 3DInsideStegosaurus fossil skeleton in 3DFossil skeleton

Stegosaurus quick facts

LivedAbout 155 to 150 million years ago, Late Jurassic
LengthAbout 9 m
WeightAbout 5 tonnes
DietPlants
Fossils found inWestern USA and Portugal

The Stegosaurus fossil skeleton

The Stegosaurus skeleton has a small, low head, short front legs and long back legs, so its back arched high over the hips. Two rows of bony plates ran along its back, and the end of its tail carried four long spikes.

Inside Stegosaurus

In the Inside view you can tap these labels on the 3D model:

Brain
Tiny for such a big body, only about the size of a lime.
Heart
Pumps blood around the whole body, all day and night.
Lungs
Take in oxygen from the air with every breath.
Intestines
Long tubes that soak up food into the body.

Interesting facts about Stegosaurus

  • Its brain was tiny for its size, only about the size of a lime.
  • The four tail spikes are nicknamed the thagomizer, a name that started in a cartoon.
  • Its back plates may have been used for display or to help control body heat.
  • Stegosaurus lived millions of years before T. rex. More time separates them than separates T. rex from us.
  • Its back legs were much longer than its front legs, so its head stayed close to the ground.

Compare: Triceratops vs Stegosaurus: Horns vs Plates in 3D · Ankylosaurus vs Stegosaurus: Tail Club vs Tail Spikes in 3D

More dinosaurs and prehistoric reptiles in 3D

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Stegosaurus anatomy questions

How big was the Stegosaurus brain?

Very small for such a big animal, roughly the size of a lime.

What were the plates on Stegosaurus for?

Probably for display, and possibly to help warm up or cool down, but scientists are not certain.

Did Stegosaurus live with T. rex?

No. Stegosaurus lived about 150 million years ago, long before T. rex appeared about 68 million years ago.

What is a thagomizer?

It is the nickname for the four spikes on a Stegosaurus tail, which it could swing at attackers.

The 3D Dinosaur Anatomy simulator is made by Julian Neagu, a solo founder in London, as part of VisionVix Simulators. It is free to use in the browser on desktop and phone, with no sign-up.