The Hidden Mystery Behind Stegosaurus Brain Let S Read It

Stegosaurus, or ‘roofed lizard,’ is a species of armored dinosaurs that lived during the Late Jurassic epoch, alongside Allosaurus, Apatosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Ceratosaurus, and Diplodocus, around 155-145 million years ago.Stegosaurus stenops or Stegosaurus armatus, Stegosaurus sulcatus, and Stegosaurus ungulatus are the Stegosaurus species, whereas Stegosaurus stenops is documented as the type species among the valid species of Stegosaurus. The dinosaurs that lived during the Upper Jurassic epoch are now preserved as a skeleton in the Natural History Museum and other archival libraries.You might wonder if an animal is as intelligent as humans or has an actual brain! Similarly, you might wonder whether the prehistoric creatures, particularly dinosaurs, had brains or not! Read the article about the Stegosaurus brain to know about the brain and intelligence of Stegosaurus and other dinosaurs.Stegosaurus was named and documented in 1877 by an American paleontologist and professor, Othniel Charles Marsh, and was first described in the Bone Wars. Since the first bone, the holotype, was located and unearthed from Morrison, Colorado, it is speculated that the Stegosaurus lived around Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. Stegosaurus was a large-bodied, quadruped dinosaur with a small head, short neck, and a long spiked tail. It was a herbivorous dinosaur with weak jaws and grinding teeth. The species recognition of the stegosaurian dinosaur is characterized by Stegosaurus plates alternated along the spinal cord and tail spikes. While the spiked tail could be used for fleeing its predators, their bony plates, comprising several blood vessels, were not for mere display but were known to perform thermoregulatory functions, maintaining the body temperature. The brain-to-body ratio of the stegosaurian dinosaur is considerably low and disproportionate, while the dinosaur had a heavily built, large body with a tiny, walnut-sized brain. Wondering if its intelligence quotient is as low as the size of its brain? You might be right! The Stegosaurus was known to have the smallest brain among all dinosaurs. Also, it had a low intelligence quotient. No doubt, animals have lower IQs than humans, but Stegosaurus had an IQ lower than the average IQ of several animals. Also, it can be said that a Stegosaurus had little intelligence.If you enjoy this article, why not also read about why we get brain freeze and what species of dinosaur Barney is here on Kidadl.Stegosaurus Brain In TailSimilar to the taunt ‘Do you have your brain down in your knees?’ it does not literally mean that the person has their brain in their knees, rather it ironically states that the person is acting utterly foolish or stupid. But that is not the case with the Stegosaurus. ‘Brain in the tail’ is no phrase, rather, it is a mystery! A hollow space near the rear section or hips discovered is often correlated with the brain cavity. Mostly all animals have their brain in their head, inside the skull, thus, the cavity in the hips or near the tail is often referred to as the second brain. It is believed to be a myth as no factual proof or arguments confirm it.Since modern birds have evolved from dinosaurs and are speculated as living relatives of prehistoric creatures, they also have a hollow space at the base. The hollow cavity is termed the glycogen body. It is known to house glycogen, while its function is not well studied yet. While the myth about the butt brain came up with the discovery of Stegosaurus and other Sauropod dinosaurs, the myth was busted with the study of modern birds. The hollow cavity, which was speculated to home the butt brain, is now studied for storing glycogen energy.To be clear, the Stegosaurus dinosaur did not have a brain in its tail.Does Stegosaurus have two brains?Just as Donald Duck is a fictional character, existing on our digital screens or in our imagination, the Stegosaurus’ second brain does not exist in reality either. It exists in myths or misconceptions only! No, it neither had two brains nor did it have a brain in its tail.The Stegosaur dinosaur was not intelligent enough to have two brains, and it was human’s misconception to have rumored such a myth. It was the confusion about the butt brain that fired up the rumor about the Stegosaur dinosaur having two brains. A cavity housing near the base of the spine was wrongly assumed as a posterior braincase containing the second brain. Also, the discovery of a walnut-sized brain, compared to the large body size of the dinosaur, sparked the rumor and strongly supported the existence of the two brains theory. The butt brain was speculated to help coordinate the tail and hind legs of the dinosaur. To much disappointment, it is an interesting fictional organ, but it never existed.The Stegosaurian dinosaur had no butt brain or the second brain to help coordinate, it had bony plates or dorsal plates at its base, comprising several blood vessels, to maintain its body temperature. Hence, it had only one brain located in its head responsible for the little intelligence it had.What is the size of a Stegosaurus brain?The size of a walnut! While the human brain is approximately the size of two clenched fists, the Stegosaur dinosaur brain is almost the size of a walnut or slightly bigger. Also, the Stegosaurus brain can be compared to the size of a lemon or a dog’s brain.Compared to the size of a mammal brain, the Stegosaurus brain is quite small. Likewise, the brain-to-body ratio of the stegosaurian dinosaur is quite low and disproportionate. Similarly, the dinosaur was known to have little intelligence or a low intelligence quotient (IQ).Also, the Stegosaurian dinosaur is recorded to have the smallest brain among the clade Dinosauria and other prehistoric creatures.Stegosaurus Small BrainWith the smallest brain, the Stegosaurus was one of the least intelligent species inhabiting the Earth.Since the Stegosaurus was a largely-built dinosaur, the walnut-sized brain led to a low and disproportionate brain-to-body ratio. Although animals are known to have a lower intelligence quotient than humans, the Stegosaurus has even lower intelligence compared to other prehistoric creatures and modern relatives.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Stegosaurus brain, then why not take a look at facts about a dinosaur with spikes on its back or interesting fossils.