Hypsirophus
hip-SIR-oh-fus /hɪpˈsɪroʊfəs/
Synonym of Stegosaurus
high roof (approximate)
- hypsi- · Greek · high
- -rophus (rhophos) · Greek · roof beam or ridge (uncertain)
Edward Drinker Cope named Hypsirophus in 1878 for a stegosaur from the Morrison Formation. The name is generally explained as referring to the tall spines or plates along the animal's back and tail, like a high roof ridge. I am not certain of the exact Greek roots, so the breakdown is approximate.
- Named by
- Cope
- Year named
- 1878
- Period
- Late Jurassic
- Found in
- Morrison Formation, Colorado, USA
Hypsirophus is a stegosaurid name that is often treated as a junior synonym of Stegosaurus, or as a doubtful name. Its original spelling "Hypsirophus" is sometimes emended to "Hypsirhophus". Its status is debated, and the etymology and the exact roots are not fully certain.