How did stegosaurus or other armoured dinosaurs reproduce?

[SpittersForEver]

I want a serious answer please and nothing rude or inappropriate please.

[CityRaptor]

Carefully.

That is actually a good question. According to this article on the Smithonian site:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-dinosaur-sex-173015/?page=2

Figuring out how Stegosaurus even could have mated is a prickly subject. Females were just as well-armored as males, and it is unlikely that males mounted the females from the back. A different technique was necessary. Perhaps they angled so that they faced belly to belly, some have guessed, or maybe, as suggested by Timothy Isles in a recent paper, males faced away from standing females and backed up (a rather tricky maneuver!). The simplest technique yet proposed is that the female lay down on her side and the male approached standing up, thereby avoiding all those plates and spikes. However the Stegosaurus pair accomplished the feat, though, it was most likely brief—only as long as was needed for the exchange of genetic material. All that energy and effort, from growing ornaments to impressing a prospective mate, just for a few fleeting moments to continue the life of the species.

[DinoToyForum]

It is very difficult to know how such horny animals mated. 

[Paleogene Pals]

I guess we will never truly know how they accomplished this feat. However, it doesn't matter if we know how they did it as long as they knew how! 

[amargasaurus cazaui]

The most likely answer is they reproduced however they wanted to....I am sure of that.

[tyrantqueen]

Life finds a way

[Gwangi]

This makes the most sense to me.

[SpittersForEver]

This makes the most sense to me.

I see what you mean. Thanks for that.

[SpittersForEver]

Life finds a way

It does

[Newt]

It depends a lot on their "equipment", which we know nothing about.  If male stegosaurs were sufficiently endowed, they could go at it side-by-side, like some live-bearing fishes.  If they relied on a "cloacal kiss", things would get more complicated.

[Roselaar]

This makes the most sense to me.

But how about Ankylosaurs? Considering their heavy armour I don't see the female just rolling over like that... 

[Gwangi]

Without those plates getting in the way I image ankylosaurs could just go about it in the typical fashion.

[Roselaar]

Without those plates getting in the way I image ankylosaurs could just go about it in the typical fashion.

Ankylosaurus proper maybe, but what of its execessively spiked relatives? I can imagine there's quite a bit of armament getting in the way in the act of love in their case. Not to mention their weight.

[alexeratops]

How do horned lizards mate is the question.

[Gwangi]

Without those plates getting in the way I image ankylosaurs could just go about it in the typical fashion.

Ankylosaurus proper maybe, but what of its execessively spiked relatives? I can imagine there's quite a bit of armament getting in the way in the act of love in their case. Not to mention their weight.

I guess like turtles today they were probably pretty well endowed so they wouldn't have to get too close. Should be a question for Ken Carpenter. He is an ankylosaur expert and did write "Eggs, Nests and Baby Dinosaurs". However they did it, it must have worked.

Porcupines figured it out alright.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYbJH6GZndQ

[Roselaar]

Huh, I suppose that could work. Still, a type of special mating appendage would have come in handy. Though that can be said for most dinosaurs.

[docronnie]

This makes the most sense to me.

Read the article.  It seems they suggest this.  Thanks for sharing!