Ankylosaurus vs Stegosaurus: Tail Club vs Tail Spikes in 3D
Both were armoured plant-eaters, but they defended themselves in different ways. Ankylosaurus was covered in bony plates and swung a heavy club on the end of its tail. Stegosaurus had tall plates along its back and four sharp spikes on its tail. They lived around 80 million years apart.
Ankylosaurus vs Stegosaurus: true size
Ankylosaurus vs Stegosaurus at a glance
| Ankylosaurus | Stegosaurus | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | About 6 to 8 m long, low and wide | About 9 m long, with a high arched back |
| Weight | Around 5 to 8 tonnes | Around 5 tonnes |
| Lived | About 68 to 66 million years ago | About 155 to 150 million years ago |
| Armour | Bony plates and spikes over its back, sides and even its eyelids | Two rows of tall plates along the back |
| Tail weapon | A heavy bony club | Four long spikes |
| Head | Wide and armoured | Small and narrow |
Two kinds of defence
Ankylosaurus was a walking fortress. Bony plates called osteoderms covered almost its whole upper body, so a predator would struggle to find a soft spot. Its tail club, made of fused bones, could swing hard enough to break bones. Stegosaurus relied less on armour and more on its spiked tail, which it could swing at an attacker. Its tall back plates were too thin to be strong armour and were probably for display.
Never neighbours
Stegosaurus lived in the Late Jurassic. Ankylosaurus lived at the very end of the Cretaceous, alongside T. rex and Triceratops. They were separated by around 80 million years, so they never met.
Quick facts
- Ankylosaurus means fused lizard, after the bones fused together in its armour.
- A fossil Allosaurus bone has a hole that matches a Stegosaurus tail spike.
- Ankylosaurus had small leaf-shaped teeth for chewing plants.
- Both were ornithischians, the group of bird-hipped dinosaurs.
- Ankylosaurus lived at the same time and place as T. rex.
Look inside both
Ankylosaurus vs Stegosaurus questions
Who would win, Ankylosaurus or Stegosaurus?
They never met, and both were plant-eaters. Ankylosaurus had the better all-over armour; Stegosaurus had the sharper tail weapon.
Which was bigger?
Stegosaurus was longer and taller, at about 9 m. Ankylosaurus was 6 to 8 m long but very wide and heavy.
Did Ankylosaurus and Stegosaurus live at the same time?
No. Stegosaurus lived about 155 to 150 million years ago and Ankylosaurus about 68 to 66 million years ago.
What was the Ankylosaurus tail club made of?
Large bony plates fused together at the end of a stiffened tail.
What were Stegosaurus plates for?
Mostly display. They may also have helped with warming up and cooling down.
More face-offs: see all 3D comparisons.
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