Systematics and phylogeny of Stegosauria (Dinosauria: Ornithischia)

Synopsis Stegosauria is a clade of ornithischian dinosaurs characterised by a bizarre array of dermal armour extending, in two parasagittal rows, from the cervical region to the end of the tail. Although Stegosaurus is one of the most familiar of all dinosaurs, little is known regarding the evolutionary history of this clade. Alpha‐level taxonomic revision of all proposed stegosaur taxa shows that 11 species of stego‐saur can be regarded as valid on the basis of autapomorphies. These are: Dacentrurus armatus and Loricatosaurus priscus (gen. nov.) from Europe; Kentrosaurus aethiopicus and Paranthodon afric‐anus from Africa; Tuojiangosaurus multispinus, Chungkingosaurus jiangbeiensis, Huayangosaurus taibaii, Gigantspinosaurus sichuanensis and Stegosaurus homheni (comb. nov.) from China; and Stegosaurus mjosi (comb. nov.) and Stegosaurus armatus from North America. A cladistic analysis of Stegosauria (the first to be based upon direct observation of all relevant specimens) is presented, which indicates that ...