The Land Before Time species
Kentrosaurus
Fossil range	Late Jurassic period
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Reptilia
Superorder	Dinosauria
Order	Ornithischia
Family	Stegosauridae
Subfamily
Genus	Kentrosaurus
Species	K. aethiopicus
Synonyms	Doryphorosaurus Kentrurosaurus
TLBT characters of this species	Miscellaneous

Kentrosaurus was a stegosaur, closely related to Stegosaurus. The Land Before Time dinosaurs might call it a type of spiketail or a spikeback.

DescriptionEdit

Kentrosaurus was similar to stegosaurus but was smaller, averaging around 5 meters (16 feet). It also had many more spikes then a spiketail (stegosaurus) had. It also had a large one coming out at the side of each of it's rear hips jutting outward parallel to the ground. Instead of having upright plates on its back as a spiketail (stegosaurus) most of the the plates were actually more spikes.

ClassificationEdit

To date, two species were found. The existence of the species Kentrosaurus aethiopicus is undisputed. Kentrosaurus longispinus (described as Stegosaurus longispinus in 1914 from North America) is not likely to be valid.

HistoryEdit

The Kentrosaurus was discovered by a German expedition to East Africa in 1909 and 1912 . Edwin Hennig first described this genus in 1915. ^[1]

PaleobiologyEdit

It had a very large body and a huge stomach to eat rough and short plants. The front legs were much shorter than the rear, forcing the Kentrosaurus to walk on all fours. If it had tried to stand up on its own weight it would have to get on all fours again. Yet it is possible that Kentrosaurus could temporarily be on its hind legs to reach shrubs and plants.

Kentrosaurus in The Land Before TimeEdit

Numerous of Kentrosaurus have appeared in The Land Before Time franchise. Kentrosaurus made it's first debut in The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire where one followed Pterano to find a way to the Great Valley along with many other dinosaurs. A few other Kentrosaurus also appear in movie as well. It makes appearances in the TV series episode March of the Sand Creepers.

ReferencesEdit

External linksEdit

• Kentrosaurus in The Dinosaur Encyclopaedia at Dino Russ's Lair
• Stegosauria from Thescelosaurus.com (Includes details on Kentrosaurus, its junior synonyms, and other material)
• Kentrosaurus from DinoData.org