在1960年代,William Lee Stokes与助手詹姆斯·麦迪逊(James Madsen)曾在犹他州的克利夫兰洛伊德恐龙挖掘场发现大量异特龙化石。在1970年代,麦迪逊发现新种类的恐龙化石。在1974年,麦迪逊将这些化石命名为史托龙,模式种是克里夫兰史托龙(S. langhami),属名是以地质学家William Lee Stokes为名,种名则是以犹他州克利夫兰镇为名[1]。
正模标本(肠骨)的长度约20公分,显示史托龙是种小型暴龙类。麦迪逊估计成年史托龙的身长约4米[1]。在2010年,葛瑞格利·保罗(Gregory S. Paul)推测史托龙的身长约2.5米,体重约60公斤[4]。在2012年,R.B.J. Benson等人定义史托龙的独有衍征:在肠骨外侧突缘、臀部关节的上方处有垂直棱脊,棱脊往肠骨背侧大幅延伸[5]。
K. Carpenter, C.A. Miles, and K.C. Cloward, 2005, "New small theropod from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of Wyoming", In: K. Carpenter (ed.), The Carnivorous Dinosaurs. Indiana University Press, Bloomington pp. 23-48
Brusatte, S.L. and Benson, R.B.J. (In press). "The systematics of Late Jurassic tyrannosauroids (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from Europe and North America." Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, (in press). doi:10.4202/app.2011.0141
Britt, B., 1991, "Theropods of Dry Mesa Quarry (Morrison Formation, Late Jurassic), Colorado, with emphasis on the osteology of Torvosaurus tanneri", Brigham Young University Geology Studies, 37: 1-72
Foster and Chure. An ilium of a juvenile Stokesosaurus (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic: Kimmeridgian), Meade County, South Dakota. Brigham Young University Geology Studies. 2000, 45: 5–10.
Turner, C.E. and Peterson, F., (1999). "Biostratigraphy of dinosaurs in the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of the Western Interior, U.S.A." Pp. 77–114 in Gillette, D.D. (ed.), Vertebrate Paleontology in Utah. Utah Geological Survey Miscellaneous Publication 99-1.
Benson, R.B.J. (2008). "New information on Stokesosaurus, a tyrannosauroid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from North America and the United Kingdom." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 28(3):732-750. doi: 10.1671/0272-4634(2008)28[732:NIOSAT]2.0.CO;2.
Galton, P.M. and Powell, H.P., 1980, "The ornithischian dinosaur Camptosaurus prestwichii from the Upper Jurassic of England", Palaeontology, 23: 411-443