What is an Apatosaurus?

The first species of Apatosaurus was formally described by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1877. Since then several fossils of this genus have been discovered in the Morrison formation which includes several parts of the Western United States like Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. It is believed that these dinosaurs thrived around 150 million years ago on Earth and primarily dominated the North American continent in the Late Jurassic period.

Taxonomic Classification of Apatosaurus

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Order: Saurischia
• Suborder: Sauropodomorpha
• Family: Diplodocidae
• Genus: Apatosaurus

Characteristics of Apatosaurus

Apatosaurus, like other sauropod dinosaurs, had distinctive morphological and anatomical characteristics that are evident in its skeleton. Some of these characteristics are listed below:

1. Apatosaurus were robust four legged animals that reached the lengths of about 70-90 feet.
2. Skeletal studies suggest that they had more or less horizontal posture.
3. The neck was long and consisted of 15 elongated cervical vertebrae.
4. The skull of Apatosaurus was relatively small and elongated, with nostrils positioned on the top of the head.
5. The teeth were chisel shaped which suggest that these animals were herbivores.
6. Their tail was whip like and is assumed to have been used as a weapon, sound producing organ, and for sensory perception.
7. The body of Apatosaurus was barrel shaped with deep and widened rib cage.
8. The limbs were pillar-like and were adapted to bear the heavy body.
9. The forelimbs of Apatosaurus were shorter than their hind limbs and had only one claw on each.
10. The hind limbs were larger and had three claws on each.

Apatosaurus and Brachiosaurus were sauropod dinosaurs that dominated the Earth in the late Jurassic period. Both of these dinosaurs were herbivores. Apatosaurus had a horizontal posture, a long neck, and a sturdy body, reaching lengths of 70 to 90 feet and was found in North America. Brachiosaurus on the other hand was one of the largest sauropods. It had a comparatively upright body like a giraffe, with longer front legs and nasal openings on top of the head. It reached lengths of over 85 feet and was found in North America, Africa, and Europe.