Lexovisaurus ("Lexovii lizard") is a genus of stegosaur from Middle to Late Jurassic Europe. It was one of the first dinosaurs from this era and location to be discovered. Its fossils (pieces of armor and limb bones) have been found in France and northern England. The type and only species is known as L. durobrivensis.
Description[]
The French specimens show that Lexovisaurus was probably rather like Stegosaurus. Traditionally, this dinosaur was depicted as having either large spines over the hips or shoulders, with a selection of flat plates and round pointed spines that ran along the back and tail. Lexovisaurus was estimated to be about 5 meters long. The type specimen, L. durobrivensis, was formalized by Hoffstetter in 1957. The specimen was originally placed in Omosaurus (now Dacentrurus) 70 years earlier. Recent work by Susannah Maidment and colleagues indicates that Lexovisaurus is based on undiagnostic remains, so these workers coined Loricatosaurus to hold other remains that had been assigned to Lexovisaurus.
In popular culture[]
- Lexovisaurus appeared in the documentary series PBS The Dinosaurs! in episode The Nature of the Beast.
- Lexovisaurus appeared on the popular Thomas and Friends series.
- Lexovisaurus appeared in the popular series Dinosaur King.
- Lexovisaurus appeared in every Fossil Fighters franchise game under the name Lexo.
Gallery[]
