Named after the daughter of the benefactor who helped pay for it, this young dinosaur (whose gender is actually unknown) is 85% complete is the most complete stegosaurs yet found.
And it makes a mesmerising display in the Earth Hall when entering via Exhibition Road.
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Sophie is a Stegasarus stenops and belongs to the group of dinosaurs known as the stegosaurs which are defined by their heavy body armour and defensive tail spines.
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Sophie isn't the only stegosaur at the Natural History Museum, located across from the vast display of itchyosaurs are the fossilised remains of a Dacentrurus armatus:
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Sophie isn't the only stegosaur at the Natural History Museum, located across from the vast display of itchyosaurs are the fossilised remains of a Dacentrurus armatus:
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Whilst not as impressive as Sophie - consisting of only a pelvis, vertebrates, femur and the defining tail spine - it is the first ever stegosaur to be described and whilst Sophie was found in Wyoming in 2003, this one found in Swindon in 1875.
Whilst not as impressive as Sophie - consisting of only a pelvis, vertebrates, femur and the defining tail spine - it is the first ever stegosaur to be described and whilst Sophie was found in Wyoming in 2003, this one found in Swindon in 1875.
Reference:
The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/dec/04/sophie-stegosaurus-london-natural-history-museum
Dinosaurs of the British Isles by Dean Lomax: http://www.deanrlomax.co.uk/Books.html
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