What is Thyreophora?

All genasaurians more closely related to Ankylosaurus magniventris than to Parasaurolophus walkeri, Triceratops horridus, and Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis. Thyreophora unites the armoured dinosaurs—plant-eaters that protected themselves with bony plates, spikes, and sometimes tail clubs. Early thyreophorans were small and lightly built, but by the Middle Jurassic they had diversified into two major groups: the stegosaurians and the ankylosaurians. All thyreophorans share rows of bony armour embedded in the skin, forming a defensive shield that made them some of the most heavily protected animals of their time. Their simple, low-browsing feeding style complemented the more advanced chewing systems of their neornithischian relatives, allowing both groups to coexist in the same environments.

Thyreophorans were all herbivorous and mostly quadrupedal, but one or two of the ealiest members were bipedal.

Together with Neornithischia (or Cerapoda depending on which paleontologist you follow), the thyreophorans make up Genasauria.

Click here to search Dinochecker for Thyreophorans. Thyreophora is derived from the Greek "thyreos" (shield) and "phoros" (bearer), in reference to their various types of armour.