Stegosaurs - The Spiked, Plated Dinosaurs

Stegosaurs - The Spiked, Plated Dinosaurs As dinosaurs go, stegosaurs are relatively easy to describe: these quadrupedal, small-to-medium-sized, small-brained herbivores were characterized by the double rows of plates and spikes along their backs and the sharp spikes on the ends of their tails. By far the most famous stegosaur (and the one that has lent its name to this entire family) is, of course, Stegosaurus, but there are at least a dozen other closely related genera, most of which are no less important from a historical perspective. (See a gallery of stegosaur pictures and profiles and Why Did Stegosaurus Have Plates on its Back?) Evolutionarily speaking, stegosaurs are classified as ornithischian (bird-hipped) dinosaurs. Their closest relatives were the armored dinosaurs known as ankylosaurs, and they were more distantly related to other four-footed plant-eaters like hadrosaurs (aka duck-billed dinosaurs) and ornithopods. In a crucial way, though, stegosaurs were less successful than these other dinosaurs: they only flourished toward the end of the Jurassic period (about 160 to 150 million years ago), with only a handful of species managing to survive into the ensuing Cretaceous. Types of Stegosaurs Because they constituted such a small family of dinosaurs, its relatively easy to distinguish among the various types of stegosaurs. The earlier, smaller stegosaurs of the middle to late Jurassic period are known as huayangosaurids, typified by, you guessed it, Huayangosaurus and less well-known genera like the European Regnosaurus. The better-known stegosaurids were larger, with more elaborate spikes and plates, and are best represented by the classic body plan of Stegosaurus. As far as paleontologists can tell, the stegosaur family tree took root with the huayangosaurids of Asia, and grew larger and more ornate by the time Stegosaurus planted itself in North America. There are still some mysteries, though: for example, the tantalizingly named Gigantspinosaurus had two huge spikes protruding from its shoulders, making its exact classification within the stegosaur line (if it even belongs there) a matter of controversy. The last stegosaur to appear in the fossil record is the mid-Cretaceous Wuerhosaurus, though its possible that some as-yet-undiscovered genus may have survived to the brink of the K/T Extinction 65 million years ago. Why Did Stegosaurs Have Plates? The most enduring mystery about stegosaurs is why they possessed those characteristic double rows of plates and spikes along their backs, and how these plates and spikes were arranged. To date, no stegosaur fossil has been unearthed with the plates still attached to its skeleton, leading some paleontologists to conclude that these scutes (as theyre technically called) lay flat along the dinosaurs back, like the thick armor of ankylosaurs. However, most researchers still believe that these plates were arranged semi-vertically, as in popular reconstructions of Stegosaurus. This leads naturally to the question: did these plates have a biological function, or were they strictly ornamental? Because scutes pack a large surface area into a small volume, its possible that they helped to dissipate heat during the night and absorb it by day, and thus regulated their owners presumably cold-blooded metabolism. But its also possible that these plates evolved to deter predators, or to help differentiate males from females. The trouble with these latter two explanations is that a) its hard to see how an upright array of blunt plates could possibly have intimidated a hungry Allosaurus, and b) there has been very little evidence to date of sexual dimorphism among stegosaurs. The prevailing theory is a bit less exciting: the bulk of opinion today is that the plates and spikes of stegosaurs evolved as a way of differentiating individuals within the herd, along the same lines as the slightly varying black-and-white stripes of zebras (because they were well supplied with blood, these scutes may also have changed color with the seasons). No such controversy attaches to the sharp spikes at the end of most stegosaurs tails, which were doubtless used for defensive purposes (and are often called thagomizers in tribute to a famous Far Side cartoon by Gary Larson).

West Chester University Admissions Data

West Chester University Admissions Data West Chester University is a somewhat selective school, with an acceptance rate of less than 60 percent of those who apply. Learn more about their admissions requirements and what it takes to get into this college. About West Chester University Founded in 1871, West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a public, four-year university located in West Chester, Pennsylvania. With about 14,500 students, WCU is the fourth largest college in the Philadelphia region. It offers over 80 undergraduate and 70 master’s degree programs across its colleges of Education, Health Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Business and Public Affairs, and Visual and Performing Arts. Academics are supported by an 18 to 1 student/faculty ratio. On the student life front, WCU is home to a host of student clubs and organizations such as the Fencing Club, the Tai Chi Arts Club, and the Breakdancing Club, or Heavy Reign Crew. WCU also has 25 fraternities and sororities and intramural sports such as Wallyball, Wiffleball, and Squash. WCU is a member of the NCAA Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) with 24 mens and womens varsity teams. Will you get in if you apply? Calculate your chances of getting in with this free tool from Cappex. Admissions Data (2016) West Chester University Acceptance Rate: 64 percentGPA, SAT and ACT Graph for WCU AdmissionsTest Scores: 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 480 / 570SAT Math: 490 / 580SAT Writing: - / -What these SAT numbers meanACT Composite: 21 / 25ACT English: 20 / 25ACT Math: 20Â  / 25What these ACT numbers mean Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 17,005 (14,397 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 41 percent Male / 59 percent Female89 percent Full-time Costs (2016-17) Tuition and Fees: $9,720 (in-state); $20,812 (out-of-state)Books: $1,200 (why so much?)Room and Board: $12,860Other Expenses: $2,520Total Cost: $26,300 (in-state); $37,392 (out-of-state) West Chester University of Pennsylvania Financial Aid (2015-16) Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 80Â  percentPercentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 38 percentLoans: 72Â  percentAverage Amount of AidGrants: $6,064Loans: $8,450 Academic Programs Most Popular Majors: Accounting, Business Management, Elementary Education, English, Health and Physical Education, History, Liberal Studies, Marketing, Nursing, PsychologyWhat major is right for you? Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Transfer, Graduation and Retention Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 86Â  percentTransfer-out Rate: 21 percent4-Year Graduation Rate: 46Â  percent6-Year Graduation Rate: 70Â  percent Intercollegiate Athletic Programs Mens Sports: Football, Swimming, Tennis, Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Golf, Track and Field, Cross CountryWomens Sports: Gymnastics, Soccer, Lacrosse, Tennis, Volleyball, Basketball, Field Hockey, Softball, Swimming Interested in West Chester University? You May Like These Universities Temple University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphPennsylvania State University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphDrexel University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphLock Haven University: ProfileUniversity of Delaware: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Pittsburgh: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphArcadia University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphRowan University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphAlbright College: ProfileIndiana University of Pennsylvania: ProfileWidener University: ProfileKutztown University of Pennsylvania: Profile West Chester University of Pennsylvania Mission Statement mission statement from wcupa.edu/president/ West Chester University, a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, is a public, regional, comprehensive institution committed to providing access and offering high-quality undergraduate education, select post-baccalaureate and graduate programs, and a variety of educational and cultural resources for its students, alumni, and citizens of southeastern Pennsylvania. Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics