Apatosaurus

### Attributes

A long horizontal neck with a small head; a small hump; long whiplike tail; large pillar-like legs

## Biography

### Locations

North America

***Apatosaurus*** (name meaning "*Deceptive Lizard*"), originally called ***Brontosaurus*** (name meaning "*Thunder Lizard*"), is a genus of diplodocid sauropod dinosaur that originated during the Late Jurassic period in what is now North America. Arguably the most famous sauropod dinosaur and often referred to as the "*Elephant of the Jurassic*", *Apatosaurus* was a bulky herbivore, one of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered; a "*giant fortress of flesh*" that measured 21 meters long and weighed 30 tons. As such, they were hunted by creatures, such as *Allosaurus* and other predators.

In the episode "***Land of Giants II: Ballad of Big Al***", a small herd of *Apatosaurus* (consisting of five adults, two sub-adults, and three hatchlings) were brought to the park from Late Jurassic Wyoming, 150 million years ago. They reside in the Sauropod Grasslands Enclosure with many of their fellow sauropod relatives.

## Facts

### Era & Discovery

*Apatosaurus* lived in western North America during the Late Jurassic period from 155 – 145 million years ago. It shared the environment with other herbivores, including other sauropods such as *Brachiosaurus*, *Diplodocus*, and *Camarasaurus* as well as other prehistoric creatures like *Nanosaurus*, *Dryosaurus*, *Stegosaurus*, *Anurognathus*, *Ornitholestes*, *Ceratosaurus*, and *Allosaurus*.

They were first discovered and named by Othniel Marsh in 1877 because the chevron bones were similar to those of a prehistoric marine lizard, *Tylosaurus*. When they were discovered, they were originally named *Brontosaurus*. But that was eventually changed to *Apatosaurus*. Since its discovery, *Apatosaurus* has become among the most well-known dinosaurs in the world and perhaps the most famous sauropod dinosaur of all time.

### Physical Attributes

*Apatosaurus* was one of the largest sauropods of the Jurassic and as well as one of the largest dinosaurs to have ever existed. They grew to stand 15 – 20 feet (4.8 – 6 m) tall at the hips, measured 70 – 75 feet (21 – 22 m) in length and weighed up to 30 tons (66,000 lbs.), more than 12 times heavier than an elephant.

*Apatosaurus* was prey for most predators, described as "*giant fortresses of flesh*", but was also too large for any predator to attack, even the largest fully grown *Allosaurus*. Only the young, injured, sick or old were at risk of predation. However, a healthy old individual could be virtually untouchable beyond a certain age, for sheer size alone. *Allosaurus* by itself or even a pack could stand little chance of taking on a fully grown and mature *Apatosaurus*, hence why they would likely target smaller, weaker, and generally more vulnerable animals.

*Apatosaurus* was heavy, with a long muscular neck and elephant-like legs that were as wide as tree-trunks along with feet almost the size of bicycle tires. Like their close relatives *Diplodocus*, *Apatosaurus* had a long whiplike tail that may have been used as a defense against large predators such as *Allosaurus*. It also had a sharp claw on each thumb that may have deterred attackers when it reared up on its hind legs to defend itself or reach for higher vegetation.

#### Capabilities and Weaponry

* **Long neck:** As a sauropod, *Apatosaurus* possessed a long neck that allowed it to strike at carnivores.
* **Long tail:** Like all sauropods, *Apatosaurus* possessed a long tail that enabled it to whip and strike at carnivores.
* **Rearing Up:** *Apatosaurus* is able to rear up on its back legs and could have potentially used its massive legs to fight carnivores.
* **Weight:** Due to its giant size, *Apatosaurus* could use its massive weight to crush carnivores.

### Behavior & Traits

Like all sauropods and other kinds of herbivorous dinosaurs, *Apatosaurus* were dinosaurs that traveled in herds and probably migrated looking for food as well as a place to lay their eggs throughout the year from area to area. Herds of adults and sub-adults would collectively have weighed hundreds of tonnes, all moving together.

These dinosaurs had to eat a lot of food to keep their massive bodies going. They had to have an enormously long gut to digest all the plant material that it ate. Like other sauropods, *Apatosaurus* also swallowed plant matter whole and ground it up with a gizzard, much as birds do today to grind up their food. They did this because they had very weak chewing teeth but had perfect nipping incisors to pull vegetation.

## Trivia

* The sound effects of *Apatosaurus* are camel, elephant, lion, water buffalo, and whale sounds.
* *Apatosaurus* belongs to the Diplodocidae Sauropods, obviously making it a relative of *Diplodocus*.
* While it may not be the largest, *Apatosaurus* was is perhaps the most famous sauropod dinosaur brought to the park.
* When people hear the word "dinosaur", many think of the long-necked Sauropods. The most famous of these was called "*Brontosaurus*", but it was discovered that brontosaurus fossils were the same as those of a previously named dinosaur: *Apatosaurus*.