Kentrosaurus (K. aethiopicus 'Pointed lizard') is a genus of small stegosaurid dinosaur from the Kimmeridgian Age of the Upper Jurassic with a herbivorous, browsing diet and with olfactory bulbs; which suggests a highly developed sense of smell.
It is believed that its diet consisted of ferns, cycads, conifers and possibly flowers and leaves of flowering plants and in order to process its food, Kentrosaurus had small, sharp teeth that it used to cut plants. Additionally, like many other herbivores, Kentrosaurus had a large number of teeth in its jaws, allowing it to easily replace worn or broken teeth.
Being a stegosaurus, Kentrosaurus is believed to have had a specialized digestive system, which allowed it to break down and digest plant cellulose more efficiently. Stegosaurs are also known to swallow stones to help crush and grind their food in their stomach, a process known as gastrolithism.
It was first discovered in 1909 in the Tendaguru Formation of Tanzania by German paleontologist Edwin Hennig.
The evidence found suggests that it could live in packs and used its body, well equipped with pointed defenses, to defend itself from possible predators.
It could measure between 4-5 m in length and weigh about 2000 kg in adult specimens and it is believed that it lived in what is now southern Africa, specifically in the Tendaguru formation of Tanzania. The Tendaguru Formation was a coastal area that at the time was covered in forests and was rich in plant life, providing a large amount of food for herbivores such as Kentrosaurus. Other dinosaurs are also known to have lived in this area, such as the sauropod Giraffatitan and the theropod Allosaurus.
Approximate measurements of the Kentrosaurus:
- Scale 1:35 - 140 mm
