Page 25 - Prehistoric Animals

Bront-O-So-Rus

Brontosaurus

What is a Dinosaur ?
Known as a Dinosaur

Brontosaurus (old Greek: Thunder lizard) is a genus of, sauropod dinosaurs. It lived in the Late
Jurassic, around 146 and 156 million years ago. It weighed in around 28 to 34 tonnes and from
head to tail was about 20 metres in length. It differed from other large sauropods, like the Brachi-
osaurus whose forelegs were longer than its hindlegs. Brontosaurus’s forelegs were shorter with
long hindlegs, this tended to give its torso a humped shape. It also had a longer and much heavier
tail. Also, as an herbivore, with its long but much heavier neck, some believe it foraged at ground
level for its food.

The first headless fossil was found in 1874 at Como Bluff in Wyoming, USA, and named in 1879,
Brontosaurus excelsus, by Othniel Charles Marsh. Across America and beyond Brontosaurus
caught the public’s imagination, and became famous, appearing in films, advertisements even on
council and company logos. Then, in 1903, Elmer Riggs, claimed that Brontosaurus was of the
same genus as an earlier found genus Apatosaurus. Under the rule, ‘the first named takes priori-
ty’, the genus name Brontosaurus was thrown out and replaced by Apatosaurus. Needless to say
and much to the annoyance of those in charge, the public kept calling their favourite dinosaur,
Brontosaurus. Then in 2015 a paper by Tschopp and his team clearly proved the differences be-
tween the genus Apatosaurus and the genus Brontosaurus. To everyone’s relief the genus Bronto-
saurus was reintroduced

Over the years two other fossils of the genus Brontosaurus have been unearth, B. parvus and B.
yahnahpin. After extensive study it’s believed B. parvus is smaller than the others and seems to
grow to a length of only 62ft. Another surprising fact unearthed about these huge animals, is that
they have a potential life span of 100 years.