H. Pettijohn on Nostr: For sure, those are osteoderms, or boney armor plates! They're smilar to the ...

For sure, those are osteoderms, or boney armor plates! They're smilar to the osteoderms on ankylosaurs, like Ankylosaurus, but Ceratosaurus had just a line of them running down its back (and possibly other ones elsewhere on its body, it's difficult to say). They may have provided additional protection during scuffles with other predators, and/or they may have been used for display. Below is a picture of some Ceratosaurus osteoderms housed at the Natural History Museum of Utah.