Dino card No. 0523 of 2,027

Diracodon

Say it: dye-RACK-oh-don

Ate: PlantsPlated dinosLate Jurassic to Late Cretaceous

Diracodon was a plated dinosaur that walked on four legs and munched on plants. It lived long ago during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Scientists think it was a type of stegosaur, related to the famous Stegosaurus.3

Lived

162 to 94 million years ago3

Late Jurassic to Late Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Fossils of Diracodon have been found in Wyoming, USA, in rocks of the Morrison Formation.1

Food

Plants3

Length

6.5 to 9 m2

range for Stegosaurus species, which includes Diracodon as a synonym

Weight

3.5 tonnes to 6.9 tonnes2

range for Stegosaurus species, which includes Diracodon as a synonym

Height

2.9 m2

height of a young adult specimen (Sophie) at the hips

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

How tall was it?

height of a young adult specimen (Sophie) at the hips

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 5 cars

as long as 2 cars parked in a rowas long as 50 bananas end to endabout as heavy as an elephantas heavy as 1400 watermelonsabout as tall as a door

How big was Diracodon compared to YOU?

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cool stuff

Fun facts

Diracodon was named by the famous paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh in 1881.3

The name Diracodon means 'two-point tooth' or 'two-ray tooth', but scientists are not sure exactly what it refers to.1

Diracodon is known from a partial skeleton, including parts of the skull and jaws.1

Some scientists think Diracodon might be the same animal as Stegosaurus, because their fossils are very similar.1

Diracodon lived in the Late Jurassic, about 155 to 145 million years ago, in what is now North America.1

Like other stegosaurs, Diracodon probably had plates on its back and spikes on its tail, but we don't have direct evidence from its fossils.3

AI-made picture of Diracodon — An AI-made picture of how Diracodon might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Diracodon

?What did Diracodon eat?

It was an herbivore, meaning it ate plants like low-lying bushes and shrubs.3 2

?How big was Diracodon?

Scientists estimate it was about 9 metres (30 feet) long and weighed over 6.9 metric tons (7.6 short tons).2

?Did Diracodon have plates on its back?

Yes, like other stegosaurs, it probably had kite-shaped upright plates along its back and spikes on its tail, though direct evidence from its fossils is missing.2

?When did Diracodon live?

It lived during the Late Jurassic, about 155 to 145 million years ago.2

?Where did Diracodon live?

Its fossils have been found in North America, especially in Wyoming and Colorado.3 2

?Is Diracodon a dinosaur?

Yes, it is a plated dinosaur (a stegosaur) that walked on four legs and ate plants.2

?Was Diracodon the same as Stegosaurus?

Many scientists think Diracodon might be the same animal as Stegosaurus, because their fossils are very similar.3

?How fast could Diracodon run?

Scientists do not know its exact speed, but as a large, heavy stegosaur it probably moved slowly on four legs.2

?What does the name Diracodon mean?

The name Diracodon means 'two-point tooth' or 'two-ray tooth', though scientists are not sure exactly what it refers to.2

?Could Diracodon swim?

There is no direct evidence, but as a land-dwelling dinosaur it likely could not swim well.3

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Myth buster

Myth: Diracodon is a completely separate dinosaur from Stegosaurus.

Truth: Many paleontologists think Diracodon is actually the same animal as Stegosaurus, because its fossils are very similar. Some experts consider Diracodon a synonym of Stegosaurus.1

For dino experts

Scientific name: Diracodon
Named by: Marsh 18813
Group: Plated dinos
Family / clade: Stegosauridae3
Classification: Ornithischia > Stegosauria > Thyreophora3
Age of the rocks: 162 to 94 million years (Oxfordian / Cenomanian)3
Rock formations: Morrison3
Countries: USA3
Fossil records: 86 in the Paleobiology Database3
Discovery: Diracodon was named by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1881 based on a partial skeleton found in Wyoming, USA. The type specimen is stored at the Yale Peabody Museum.1
Still debated: Scientists still debate whether Diracodon is a valid genus or just a synonym of Stegosaurus. Some studies treat it as a nomen dubium, meaning the name is doubtful.1

Where the facts come from

PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
Stegosaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
Diracodon in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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