劍龍遺骸最早由奧塞內爾·查利斯·馬什在骨頭大戰期間發現於恐龍嶺(英語:Dinosaur Ridge)國家地標(Dinosaur Ridge National Landmark)。第一批已知骨骼過於零碎,因此這種動物的真實面貌(包括姿勢與骨板的排列方式)在多年以後才得到深入了解。儘管劍龍在書籍和電影中很受歡迎,但其骨骼直到20世紀中期才成為大型自然歷史博物館的主要展品,由於缺乏完整骨骼,許多博物館被迫將多個不同標本進行「拼接」來進行展示。劍龍是一種廣為人所知的恐龍,在電影、郵票和其它媒體中都有出現。
劍龍是發現於骨頭大戰期間的恐龍物種之一,由奧塞內爾·查利斯·馬什在1877年根據科羅拉多州莫里遜北部發現的遺骸所命名。[2]這些最早發現的骨骼後來成為該屬的正模標本。馬什將其敘述成類似海龜的水生動物,並將屬名取為Stegosaurus,意為「屋頂蜥蜴」(由古希臘文中代表「屋頂」的στέγη/stégi或代表「(如屋瓦一般)緊密鋪設覆蓋」的στέγω/stégō,以及代表蜥蜴的σαῦρος/saûros組成),因為他最初認為這些骨板平鋪在動物背上,像屋頂上的瓦片般重疊。在接下來的幾年裡,人們發現了大量劍龍化石,馬什也在1877年至1897年間發表了幾篇關於劍龍的論文。[3]1878年,愛德華·德林克·科普(Edward Drinker Cope)根據花園公園(英語:Garden Park, Colorado)乳頭山附近科普3號採石場中的化石碎片而命名了另一種劍龍類――Hypsirhophus。[4]後期研究人員通常認為Hypsirhophus是劍龍的異名,[3]儘管彼得·加爾東在2010年指出兩者的椎骨存在差異。[5]
下一個被命名的劍龍物種是馬氏劍龍(S. marshi),由菲德里克·盧卡斯(Frederick Lucas)敘述於1901年。盧卡斯在同年晚些時候將該物種建立為新屬裝甲龍。盧卡斯還重新研究了劍龍的生前外觀問題並得出結論:骨板成對排列,沿背部分成兩排且位於肋骨基部上方。盧卡斯委託查爾斯·耐特(英語:Charles R. Knight)(Charles R. Knight)根據他的新解釋製作蹄足劍龍的復原圖。然而,盧卡斯在第二年寫道,他現在相信劍龍的骨板可能是交錯排列的。[3]1910年,理察·斯旺·盧爾(英語:Richard Swann Lull)(Richard Swann Lull)認為狹臉劍龍的骨板交替形式可能是由於死後的骨骼移所位造成。他在皮博迪自然史博物館(Peabody Museum of Natural History)帶領眾人建成有史以來第一座劍龍骨架,並將骨板成對擺放。[3]查爾斯·惠特尼·吉爾摩(Charles Wihtney Gilmore)於1914年對盧爾的解釋表示反對,並指出一些狹臉劍龍標本(包括現已完全準備好的正模標本)的骨板皆成排交替保存並靠近背部頂端,且沒有證據表明骨板位置在石化過程中發生過移動。[3]吉爾摩和盧卡斯的解釋成為普遍接受的標準。1924年,皮博迪博物館的劍龍骨架亦被改動以反映這一點。[6]
大多數已知的劍龍信息來自於成年遺骸,不過目前已有幼龍化石發現。1994年在懷俄明州發現的一件亞成體標本長4.6米(15.1英尺),高2米(6.6英尺),其生前可能重達2.4公噸(2.6短噸),現展示於懷俄明大學地質學博物館(英語:University of Wyoming Geological Museum)(University of Wyoming Geological Museum)。[36]
馬什於1891年發表了他對劍龍骨骼的精確重建,十年內劍龍就成為了插圖最多的恐龍之一。畫家查爾斯·耐特(英語:Charles R. Knight)在1897年11月的一期《世紀雜誌(英語:The Century Magazine)》上發表了第一幅根據馬什的研究所製成的蹄足劍龍插圖。此圖後來成為1933年電影《金剛》中使用的定格動畫的基礎。[87]耐特的第一張復原圖中只畫了一排骨板,不過,他於1901年在弗里德里希·盧卡斯的指導下創作了一幅更為著名的作品,並畫出了兩排骨板。同樣,在盧卡斯的領導下,耐特於兩年後再次修改上一版本,製作出一個具有雙排交錯骨板的模型。1927年,耐特為菲爾德自然歷史博物館繪製了一幅具有雙排交錯骨板的劍龍復原圖,該形象被魯道夫·F·扎林格(英語:Rudolph F. Zallinger)所遵循,此人也在1947年皮博迪博物館的「爬行動物時代」壁畫中將劍龍畫成了這種形象。[87]
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