About Different Lizard
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Paleontological Comparison
The iconic Jurassic duel: Jurassic predator vs plate-bearer.
Allosaurus fragilis
Era: Mesozoic
Period: Late Jurassic
Diet: Carnivore
Region: North America, Europe
Stegosaurus stenops
Era: Mesozoic
Period: Late Jurassic
Diet: Herbivore
Region: North America, Europe
| Criterion | Different Lizard | Roof Lizard |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 8.5-9 m m | 7-9 m m |
| Height | 3-3.5 m m | 4 m m |
| Weight | 1.5-2 tonnes t | 2.5-4 tonnes t |
| Era | Mesozoic | Mesozoic |
| Diet | Carnivore | Herbivore |
Verdict (physical categories)
Roof Lizardleads (2/3)
Note: size is only one factor. Speed, bite force, intelligence and hunting strategy matter too.
Biography coming soon.
Biography coming soon.
Yes — direct fossils prove it. An Allosaurus fragilis from the Morrison Formation (Oklahoma) showed a pubic lesion exactly matching a Stegosaurus stenops thagomizer spike. Conversely, Stegosaurus bones bear Allosaurus bite marks. This predator-prey duel is one of the best documented from the Jurassic.
The Stegosaurus thagomizer — four tail spikes reaching 90 centimetres — struck with enough force to pierce bone. An Allosaurus fragilis tail vertebra carries a hole matching one of those spikes exactly, and the infection that followed ate away the surrounding bone. At 2.5 to 4 tonnes against the Allosaurus's 1.5 to 2, Stegosaurus was no defenceless prey.
Yes. Both are dated to 155–145 million years ago and come from the Morrison Formation, which outcrops in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. They shared the same Late Jurassic floodplains, which is why injuries inflicted by one on the other turn up so regularly across American fossil beds.
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