Kentrosaurus

dinosaur · armor plated · Tanzania · Jurassic

African stegosaur. Kentrosaurus lived in Tanzania during the Late Jurassic period, making it one of the stegosaur dinosaurs that lived in Africa rather than North America.

Covered in armor. Like other stegosaurs, Kentrosaurus had rows of plates running down its back and spikes on its tail to protect itself from predators.

Recently reclassified. Scientists once thought Kentrosaurus was a primitive stegosaur, but new studies show it was actually quite advanced and closely related to the famous Stegosaurus.

Named in 1915. German paleontologist Edwin Hennig discovered and named Kentrosaurus, giving it a scientific name that means 'prickly lizard.'