The Ancients Stegosaurus: Titan of the Jurassic
Dec 14, 2025
Dr. Susannah Maidment, a paleontologist at the Natural History Museum, dives deep into the world of Stegosaurus, the iconic Jurassic giant. She discusses its unique anatomy, including the small brain and distinctive tail spikes used as weapons. Exploration of fossil records reveals insights into their habitats and interactions with predators like Allosaurus. The episode also uncovers the multifunctionality of Stegosaurus plates and highlights unexplored diversity in stegosaurs. Don’t miss her take on the misconceptions often seen in media portrayals!
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Iconic Body: Tanky Build And Tiny Brain
- Stegosaurus combined heavy, tank-like body architecture with a very small brain and dramatic armour features.
- Its iconic form balances locomotion, defence and display rather than a single obvious function.
When Stegosaurs Lived
- Stegosaurs evolved in the Middle Jurassic and peaked in diversity in the Late Jurassic before declining by the end of the Early Cretaceous.
- They persisted longer in Asia but disappear from North America after the Jurassic.
Wide But Patchy Global Range
- Stegosaurs had a near-global distribution across Laurasia and Gondwana, with records in North America, Europe, China, Africa and South America.
- Absence from Australia and Antarctica likely reflects poor sampling, not true absence.