Stegouros is a small, extinct dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, around 74.9 to 71.7 million years ago. Its fossils were found in southern Chile, specifically in a rock formation called the Dorotea Formation.
The name “Stegouros” means “roofed tail” in Greek, which describes the dinosaur’s unique tail structure. The specific type of Stegouros is called Stegouros elengassen. This name is inspired by a creature from the mythology of the local Aónik’enk people, who are the indigenous inhabitants of the area where the fossils were discovered.
A team of researchers found Stegouros in February 2018. They unearthed a nearly complete skeleton, which includes parts of the skull and a lot of its body. This dinosaur is relatively small, measuring about 1.8 to 2 meters long, which is about the size of a small car.
One of the most interesting features of Stegouros is its tail. Unlike other dinosaurs in its family, Stegouros has a short tail with a specialized weapon at the end, made up of several fused bones resembling a flattened structure similar to an Aztec mace called a maquahuitl. This tail weapon is quite different from the well-known tail clubs of other armored dinosaurs.
Stegouros belonged to a group called ankylosaurs, known for their armor and protective features. However, it is part of a distinct lineage called Parankylosauria, which separated from other ankylosaurs earlier than many others and evolved various unique traits, including its special tail weapon.
Scientists believe Stegouros and its close relatives, like Kunbarrasaurus and Antarctopelta, may have shared similar tail features, indicating a unique evolutionary path.
The discovery of Stegouros is significant because it helps researchers understand more about the diversity and evolution of armored dinosaurs in ancient environments. The Dorotea Formation, where Stegouros was found, also contains fossils of other animals such as frogs, fish, reptiles, and even other dinosaurs. This suggests that Stegouros lived in a rich ecosystem filled with many forms of life millions of years ago.