Miragaia and Stegosaurus

Miragaia (named after Miragaia, the parish in Portugal and geologic unit where its remains were found) is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur. Its fossils have been found in Upper Jurassic rocks in Portugal. Miragaia is notable for its long neck, which included at least 17 vertebrae.

Additionally, Miragaia had more neck vertebrae than most sauropods, dinosaurs known for their long necks, which contrasts with the traditional view of stegosaurians as low browsers with short necks. Only the Chinese sauropods Euhelopus, Mamenchisaurus, and Omeisaurus had as many neck vertebrae as Miragaia, with most sauropods of the Late Jurassic possessing only 12 to 15. it has been suggested that the long neck allowed Miragaia to browse at a level that other herbivores were not exploiting.