Wuerhosaurus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wuerhosaurus Temporal range: Lower Cretaceous
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Sauropsida
Superorder:	Dinosauria
Order:	Ornithischia
Suborder:	Thyreophora
Infraorder:	Stegosauria
Family:	Stegosauridae
Genus:	Wuerhosaurus Dong, 1973
Type species
Wuerhosaurus homheni Dong, 1973
Species
W. homheni Dong, 1973 W. ordosensis Dong, 1993
Synonyms
Stegosaurus homheni (Dong, 1973)

Wuerhosaurus was a type of dinosaur known as a stegosaur. It was related to the more famous Stegosaurus. This dinosaur lived a very long time ago, during the Lower Cretaceous period, in what is now China.

What Was Wuerhosaurus Like?

Wuerhosaurus was a unique dinosaur, even though we don't have all the details of its skeleton. It had some special features that made it stand out from other stegosaurs.

Bony Plates and Spikes

Along its back, Wuerhosaurus had bony, rounded plates. These plates were likely used for display or to help control its body temperature. It also probably had four strong, bony spikes at the end of its tail. These spikes might have been used to defend itself from predators.

Body Shape and Size

Compared to other stegosaurs, Wuerhosaurus had a shorter body. It also had wider hip bones. These features gave it a slightly different appearance from its relatives.

One of the Last Stegosaurs

Wuerhosaurus was one of the very last types of stegosaur dinosaurs to live on Earth. Most other stegosaurs had already died out by the end of the Jurassic period. This makes Wuerhosaurus an important dinosaur for understanding how these amazing creatures evolved and eventually disappeared.

Images for kids

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  Plate of W. homheni, Paleozoological Museum of China