 Another explanation for Stegosaurus plates ' heavily vascular design is that , when under threat , blood could rush into the plates , causing them to " blush " which would add a colorful , red warning , " embellishing " the visual threat display . This " blushing capacity " , instead of thermoregulatory functions , may be the plates ' purpose , though the two functions certainly could have coexisted . That Stegosaurus plates could " blush " has become the predominant interpretation of plate function since the late 20th century , and is even depicted in the popular BBC documentary Walking with Dinosaurs , with the sudden reddening of the plates used in conjunction with threatening swings of the spiked tail to intimidate and confuse an attacking Allosaurus . Also , this blushing could have been used to attract mates . A study published in 2005 supports the idea of their use in species identification . Researchers believe this may be the function of other unique anatomical features , found in various dinosaur species . 
