NextPrevious

Jurassic Period

Ornithischian Dinosaurs

Why were stegosaurs originally thought to have had a “second brain”?

The dinosaurs that made up the Stegosauria, such as Stegosaurus and Kentrosaurus, had extremely tiny brains. For example, the Stegosaurus, an animal that weighed approximately 1 to 2 tons (0.9 to 1.8 metric tons), had a brain only weighing 0.15 to 0.18 pounds (70 to 80 grams) and thought to be about the size of a walnut. Paleontologists also found an enlarged part of spinal cord in fossils of the stegosaur sacrum. This swelling, larger than the brain cavity, was originally thought to be a “second brain.” Currently, scientists believe this area is associated with nervous and connective tissue and fat, not a second brain.



Close

This is a web preview of the "The Handy Dinosaur Answer Book" app. Many features only work on your mobile device. If you like what you see, we hope you will consider buying. Get the App