 Stegosaurus remains were first identified during the " Bone Wars " by Othniel Charles Marsh . The first known skeletons were fragmentary and the bones were scattered , and it would be many years before the true appearance of these animals , including their posture and plate arrangement , became well understood . The name Stegosaurus means " roof lizard " or " covered lizard " , in reference to its bony plates . Despite its popularity in books and film , mounted skeletons of Stegosaurus did not become a staple of major natural history museums until the mid @-@ 20th century , and many museums have had to assemble composite displays from several different specimens due to a lack of complete skeletons . 
