Tuojiangosaurus, the Sichuan stegosaur with a spiked tail

When and where

Tuojiangosaurus lived in Asia during the Late Jurassic, about 161 to 155 million years ago. Its fossils come from the Upper Shaximiao Formation in Sichuan Province, China. That rock unit has produced several famous Chinese dinosaurs, including long-necked sauropods and large meat-eaters. Tuojiangosaurus was part of the herbivore side of that world: a low-browsing stegosaur moving through floodplains near the ancient Tuo River.

How we know

Workers found stegosaur bones in 1974 during construction of the Wujiaba dam at Zigong, Sichuan. Dong Zhiming, Zhou Shiwu, Li Xuanmin, and Chang Yijong named Tuojiangosaurus multispinus in 1977. The genus name means "Tuo River lizard", and the species name points to its many spines. The main specimen, CV 209, is a fairly complete skeleton, though parts of the skull, jaws, tail, and limbs are missing. At the time it was described, it was the most complete stegosaur skeleton known from Asia. Source: Wikipedia.

What set it apart

Tuojiangosaurus reached about 6.5 metres in length and weighed roughly 2.8 tonnes. It had the low head, bulky body, short forelimbs, and small teeth typical of stegosaurs. Along its back ran two rows of plates. The plates near the neck and front of the body were rounded or pear shaped, while the rear plates became more triangular and pointed. Unlike Stegosaurus, its plates sat in parallel pairs. The tail carried outward-pointing spikes angled around 45 degrees, a dangerous thagomizer for any predator that came too close.

For collectors and classrooms

A Tuojiangosaurus model gives a class a useful contrast with the better-known Stegosaurus. The parallel plates, Chinese fossil story, and Late Jurassic age make it a neat way to talk about how stegosaur anatomy changed across continents. If you want a desk model for a classroom or display shelf, the verified UK listing is ready: Tuojiangosaurus figurine.