Stegopelta

roof shield

• stegos · Greek · roof
• pelte · Greek · small shield

The name combines the Greek "stegos" (roof) with "pelte" (a small shield). It refers to the armoured, shield-like covering of bony plates (osteoderms) over the animal's body. Stegopelta was an armoured nodosaurid ankylosaur.

Named by

Williston

Year named

1905

Period

Late Cretaceous

Found in

Niobrara Formation, Wyoming, USA (type species S. landerensis)

A nodosaurid ankylosaur known from fragmentary remains; the type species is Stegopelta landerensis. Exact stage range and some referred material are uncertain, so the stage fields are left blank.