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Sauropods
Sauropoda (), whose members are known as sauropods (; from '' sauro-'' + '' -pod'', 'lizard-footed'), is a clade of saurischian ('lizard-hipped') dinosaurs. Sauropods had very long necks, long tails, small heads (relative to the rest of their body), and four thick, pillar-like legs. They are notable for the enormous sizes attained by some species, and the group includes the largest animals to have ever lived on land. Well-known genera include ''Brachiosaurus'', ''Diplodocus'', ''Apatosaurus'' and ''Brontosaurus''. The oldest known unequivocal sauropod dinosaurs are known from the Early Jurassic. '' Isanosaurus'' and '' Antetonitrus'' were originally described as Triassic sauropods, but their age, and in the case of ''Antetonitrus'' also its sauropod status, were subsequently questioned. Sauropod-like sauropodomorph tracks from the Fleming Fjord Formation (Greenland) might, however, indicate the occurrence of the group in the Late Triassic. By the Late Jurassic (150 million ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brachiosaurus
''Brachiosaurus'' () is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Jurassic, about 154to 150million years ago. It was first described by American paleontologist Elmer S. Riggs in 1903 from fossils found in the Colorado River valley in western Colorado, United States. Riggs named the dinosaur ''Brachiosaurus altithorax''; the generic name is Greek for "arm lizard", in reference to its proportionately long arms, and the specific name means "deep chest". ''Brachiosaurus'' is estimated to have been between 18 and 22 meters (59 and 72ft) long; body mass estimates of the subadult holotype specimen range from 28.3 to 46.9 metric tons (31.2 and 51.7 short tons). It had a disproportionately long neck, small skull, and large overall size, all of which are typical for sauropods. Atypically, ''Brachiosaurus'' had longer forelimbs than hindlimbs, which resulted in a steeply inclined trunk, and a proportionally shorter tail. ''Brachiosaurus'' is the name ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diplodocus
''Diplodocus'' (, , or ) was a genus of diplodocid sauropod dinosaurs, whose fossils were first discovered in 1877 by S. W. Williston. The generic name, coined by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1878, is a neo-Latin term derived from Greek διπλός (''diplos'') "double" and δοκός (''dokos'') "beam", in reference to the double-beamed chevron bones located in the underside of the tail, which were then considered unique. The genus of dinosaurs lived in what is now mid-western North America, at the end of the Jurassic period. It is one of the more common dinosaur fossils found in the middle to upper Morrison Formation, between about 154 and 152 million years ago, during the late Kimmeridgian Age. The Morrison Formation records an environment and time dominated by gigantic sauropod dinosaurs, such as '' Apatosaurus'', '' Barosaurus'', ''Brachiosaurus'', '' Brontosaurus'', and '' Camarasaurus''. Its great size may have been a deterrent to the predators ''Allosaurus'' and '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Apatosaurus Louisae
''Apatosaurus'' (; meaning "deceptive lizard") is a genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Jurassic period. Othniel Charles Marsh described and named the first-known species, ''A. ajax'', in 1877, and a second species, ''A. louisae'', was discovered and named by William H. Holland in 1916. ''Apatosaurus'' lived about 152 to 151 million years ago (mya), during the late Kimmeridgian to early Tithonian age, and are now known from fossils in the Morrison Formation of modern-day Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Utah in the United States. ''Apatosaurus'' had an average length of , and an average mass of . A few specimens indicate a maximum length of 11–30% greater than average and a mass of approximately . The cervical vertebrae of ''Apatosaurus'' are less elongated and more heavily constructed than those of ''Diplodocus'', a diplodocid like ''Apatosaurus'', and the bones of the leg are much stockier despite being longe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Apatosaurus
''Apatosaurus'' (; meaning "deceptive lizard") is a genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Jurassic period. Othniel Charles Marsh described and named the first-known species, ''A. ajax'', in 1877, and a second species, ''A. louisae'', was discovered and named by William H. Holland in 1916. ''Apatosaurus'' lived about 152 to 151 million years ago (mya), during the late Kimmeridgian to early Tithonian age, and are now known from fossils in the Morrison Formation of modern-day Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Utah in the United States. ''Apatosaurus'' had an average length of , and an average mass of . A few specimens indicate a maximum length of 11–30% greater than average and a mass of approximately . The cervical vertebrae of ''Apatosaurus'' are less elongated and more heavily constructed than those of ''Diplodocus'', a diplodocid like ''Apatosaurus'', and the bones of the leg are much stockier despite being longe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is the subject of active research. They became the dominant terrestrial vertebrates after the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event 201.3 mya; their dominance continued throughout the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. The fossil record shows that birds are feathered dinosaurs, having evolved from earlier theropods during the Late Jurassic epoch, and are the only dinosaur lineage known to have survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event approximately 66 mya. Dinosaurs can therefore be divided into avian dinosaurs—birds—and the extinct non-avian dinosaurs, which are all dinosaurs other than birds. Dinosaurs are varied from taxonomic, morphological and ecological standpoints. Birds, at over 10,700 living species, ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinshakiangosaurus
''Chinshakiangosaurus'' (JIN-shah-jiahng-uh-SOR-us, meaning "Chinshakiang lizard") is a genus of dinosaur and probably one of the most basal sauropods known. The only species, ''Chinshakiangosaurus chunghoensis'', is known from a fragmentary skeleton found in Lower Jurassic rocks in China. ''Chinshakiangosaurus'' is one of the few basal sauropods with preserved skull bones and therefore important for the understanding of the early evolution of this group. It shows that early sauropods may have possessed fleshy cheeks. Description and feeding Like all sauropods, it was a large, quadrupedal herbivore with long neck and tail. The body length of the only specimen is estimated at 12 to 13 meters. The remains consists of the dentary (the tooth bearing bone of the mandible) including teeth as well as several parts of the postcranium. By now, only the dentary and the teeth were studied extensively; the remaining skeleton still awaits a proper description. The dentary was curved i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brontosaurus
''Brontosaurus'' (; meaning "thunder lizard" from Greek , "thunder" and , "lizard") is a genus of gigantic quadruped sauropod dinosaurs. Although the type species, ''B. excelsus'', had long been considered a species of the closely related '' Apatosaurus'' and therefore invalid, researchers proposed in 2015 that ''Brontosaurus'' is a genus separate from ''Apatosaurus'' and that it contains three species: ''B. excelsus'', ''B. yahnahpin'', and ''B. parvus''. ''Brontosaurus'' had a long, thin neck and a small head adapted for a herbivorous lifestyle, a bulky, heavy torso, and a long, whip-like tail. The various species lived during the Late Jurassic epoch, in the Morrison Formation of what is now North America, and were extinct by the end of the Jurassic.Foster, J. (2007). ''Jurassic West: The Dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation and Their World''. Indiana University Press. 389pp. Adult individuals of ''Brontosaurus'' are estimated to have measured up to long and weighed up t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gongxianosaurus
''Gongxianosaurus'' is a genus of basal sauropod dinosaur from the early Jurassic Period (Toarcian stage). The only species is ''Gongxianosaurus shibeiensis''. Based on four fragmentary to complete specimens found in China (Sichuan Province), it is one of the most completely known early sauropods. The skeleton is known in large part, missing both the hand and the majority of the skull. ''Gongxianosaurus'' was firstly named and described in a short note published in 1998; however, a comprehensive description has yet to be published. ''Gongxianosaurus shibeiensis'' was named for the place it was found, near the village Shibei in Gong County (珙县; Pinyin: Gǒng Xiàn). Description ''Gongxianosaurus'' may have reached in length. Like other sauropods, it moved quadrupedally (on four legs), as indicated by the elongated fore limbs that reached 70 to 75% of hind limb length. The pedal phalanges were short and robust, as typical for sauropods. The pedal phalangeal formula, count ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kotasaurus
''Kotasaurus'' ( ; meaning " Kota Formation lizard") is a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Early Jurassic period ( Sinemurian–Pliensbachian). The only known species is ''Kotasaurus yamanpalliensis''. It was discovered in the Kota Formation of Telangana, India and shared its habitat with the related '' Barapasaurus''. So far the remains of at least 12 individuals are known. The greater part of the skeleton is known, but the skull is missing, with the exception of two teeth. Like all sauropods, it was a large, quadrupedal herbivore with long neck and tail. Description ''Kotasaurus'' is one of the most basal sauropods known. The general body plan was that of a typical sauropod, but in several basal (plesiomorphic) features it resembles prosauropods. Like all sauropods, ''Kotasaurus'' was an obligate quadruped, while prosauropods were primitively bipedal. The body length is estimated at nine meters, with a weight of 2.5 tonnes, and therefore already comparable with that of l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Isanosaurus
''Isanosaurus'' means "North-eastern thailand lizard" was a sauropod dinosaur from Thailand. It was originally dated to approximately 210 million years ago during the Late Triassic (late Norian to Rhaetian stages), which would make it one of the oldest known sauropods. Its age was later considered uncertain, and may be as young as Late Jurassic. The only species is ''Isanosaurus attavipachi''. Though important for the understanding of sauropod origin and early evolution, ''Isanosaurus'' is poorly known. Exact relationships to other early sauropods remain unresolved. Description The only specimen includes a neck vertebra, a back vertebra and part of a second, six tail vertebra, two chevrons, fragmentary ribs, the right sternal plate, the right shoulder blade, and the left thigh bone (femur). This individual may have measured when alive; the thigh bone measures 76 centimetres in length. However, the vertebral neural arches have been found separated from the vertebr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amygdalodon
''Amygdalodon'' (; "almond tooth" for its almond shaped teeth) was a genus of basal sauropod from the Middle Jurassic of Argentina. The type species is ''Amygdalodon patagonicus''. Fossils of ''Amygdalodon'' have been found in the Toarcian Cerro Carnerero Formation of the Jurassic (about 180-172 million years ago). Very little is known about it, but it is one of the few Jurassic dinosaurs from South America found thus far. Discovery The holotype (MLP 46-VIII-21-1) consists of some vertebrae, ribs, four complete and three partial teeth, and a partial pelvis and shoulder-blade, of which was discovered in 1936. The type species, ''Amygdalodon patagonicus'', was described by Cabrera in Argentina in 1947.A. Cabrera. 1947. Un saurópodo nuevo del Jurásico de Patagonia. Instituto del Museo de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata, ''Notas del Museo de La Plata, Paleontología'' 12(95):1–17 Until 1936 sauropod fossils from Argentina were completely unknown then, prompted by Piatnitzky ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pulanesaura
''Pulanesaura'' is an extinct genus of basal sauropod known from the Early Jurassic (late Hettangian to Sinemurian) Upper Elliot Formation of the Free State, South Africa. It contains a single species, ''Pulanesaura eocollum'', known from partial remains of at least two subadult to adult individuals. Discovery and naming The remains of ''Pulanesaura'' were discovered in a small quarry in the farm Spion Kop 932 in the Senekal District of the Free State in 2004 by paleontologist Matthew Bonnan. The bones were excavated between 2004 and 2006, and studied by Blair McPhee as part of his dissertation since 2011. ''Pulanesaura'' was then described and named officially by Blair W. McPhee, Matthew F. Bonnan, Adam M. Yates, Johann Neveling and Jonah N. Choiniere in 2015 with the type species ''Pulanesaura eocollum''. The generic name is derived from the Sesoth word for "rain-maker/bringer", ''Pulane'', in reference to the heavy rain conditions under which the remains were collected, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
