New Stegosaur Species Unearthed in Morocco’s Middle Atlas Mountains

These remains of the Thyreosaurus atlasicus were found not far from Nador, reveals a study published in the scientific journal Windwana Research. This discovery in the Middle Atlas of Morocco, made by paleontologists, will help understand the evolution of stegosaurs in the Middle Jurassic of Africa.

The comparison of these remains with those found in 2021 south of the city of Pullman has made it possible to classify this dinosaur in the family of armored herbivores of the class of stegosaurs, it is explained.

The remains discovered include vertebrae, rib cage ribs and limb bones of the animal about 6 meters long whose existence dates back to the Bathonian-Callovian era, more than 165 million years ago.

According to the researchers, the Thyreosaurus atlasicus is distinguished from other stegosaurs by its armor which takes the form of a thick layer of bone with an asymmetric texture, with one side in an irregular shape and the other in the shape of a cross. The study of the bone tissue of the dinosaur reveals that it was sexually mature, but had not yet reached its full growth.