Othniel Charles Marsh first described the Apatosaurus in 1877 and gave it the scientific name Apatosaurus ajax. The Alamosaurus is believed to have weighed around 33 tons and measured some 69 feet long. Dinosaur Facts for Kids. long neck dinosaur facts. Most estimates of the dinosaur’s size place the dinosaurs somewhere between 21 – 22.8 m (69–75 ft) long with a weight of 16.4 – 22.4 tons. Diplodocus fossils were found in the Morrison Formation in the western United States. The dinosaur was discovered in Argentina and named after the region. The neck of the Brachiosaurus is believed to be composed of 13 long cervical vertebrae, and this long neck allowed it to reach vegetation that was possibly as high as 9 meters (30 feet) off the ground. There is a preserved Saltasau egg displayed for visitors at Utah’s North American Museum of Ancient Life. Brachiosaurus (/ ˌbrækiəˈsɔːrəs /) is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Jurassic, about 154–153 million years ago. Like the Apatosaurus, it was discovered in the Morrison Formation. Arguably one of the most famous dinosaurs in the world, the Brachiosaurus lived during the Late Jurassic era around 154 to 153 million years ago. An iconic and enduring symbol of the harrowing dangers of Jurassic Park, the dilophosaurus, with its multi-colored neck fan and ability to spit venom to blind its victims was almost entirely a complete fabrication. 9 DILOPHOSAURUS HAD NO NECK FAN OR VENOM. It lived during the Late Cretaceous area around 70 million years ago. © 2020 Science Trends LLC. 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. Let’s take a closer look at some of the long-necked sauropods that existed during the era of the dinosaurs. There are two recognized species of Apatosaurus, the Apatosaurus ajax (type species) and the Apatosaurus louisae. Dryosaurus had a long neck and a stiff tail. Sauropods are usually associated with extensive necks; some well-endowed species even placed over 35 feet between their heads and shoulders. The Camarasaurus lived somewhere between 155 to 145 mya, during the Late Jurassic era, and like the Brachiosaurus and Apatosaurus, it was discovered in the Morrison Formation. [Animal Facts] [Dinosaur Index] [Dinosaur Activities] [Dinosaur Facts] [Dinosaur Photos] KidZone Animals: Dinosaurs Ancient Geography. They were one of the dinosaurs who ate stones along with the vegetation to crush the food in their stomach during digestion. They have characteristically long necks and their tails that were sometimes almost as lengthy. It was initially discovered in the Ojo Alamo Formation, which is a geologic formation that covers the region near Kirtland Shale, New Mexico. ISSN: 2639-1538 (online), Photo: Slate Weasel via Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain, Apatosaurus specimen at Carnegie Museum. Water covers more than 70% […]. These animals are believed to have had really small heads that sat atop very long necks and is known for having fearsome claws on its front legs. It was discovered in the lowest layer of the Morrison Formation and believed to have lived around 155 million years ago to 152 million years ago. It was a dinosaur that was about 33 feet long, 10 feet tall at the hips and weighed around 3 tons. Camarasaurus roughly translates to “chambered lizard”, which is in reference to the fact that the Camarasaurus’ vertebrae have large holes or chambers in them. That’s as much weight as 20 African elephants! It weighed as much as 30–50 tonnes, which is about the same as 12 African elephants. The huge diplodocus lived from about 154 to 150 million years ago in what is now the western US. It is from the formation that the dinosaur gets its name. Not only does it have a long neck and tail but also armor in the form of osteoderms. Qijianglong. We look at when and why. For many years, it was the longest dinosaur known. “Dinosaurs may be extinct from the face of the planet, but they are alive and well in our imaginations.” — Steve Miller. Fun facts about long-necked dinosaurs for kids. The dinosaur lived in the late Cretaceous period some 97 to 93.5 million years ago. Some believe that being so large was a defense mechanism, since most predators would not risk taking down such a large prey. In most places where sauropod fossils have been found, a predator like Allosaurus … [8] Over 500 dinosaur genera have been scientifically accepted. Elmer Riggs first described the giant dinosaur in 1903, calling it “the largest known dinosaur”. Some of the largest animals to ever walk the land belong to the sauropods, and well-known sauropods include Diplodocus and Brachiosaurus. Dec 25, 2014 - Brachiosaurus stood taller than most dinosaurs, on forelegs that were longer than its hind legs. Sauropods are known for their characteristics like long neck, similarly long tails, thick bodies, and powerful tree trunk-like legs. “I found my first dinosaur bone when I was 6, growing up in Montana. These are all different techniques for evolving a longer neck and all of these techniques can also be used together. It is estimated that the dinosaur weighed between 66 – 97 tons and was around 30 – 35 meters (98 – 118 feet) in length. Being SO big also meant that the long-necked dinosaurs were SUPER heavy. Brachiosaurus was a sauropod that had very long front legs and a long, flexible neck. Science Trends is a popular source of science news and education around the world. All long-necked dinosaurs belong to the sauropoda group. Scientists have theorized that this dinosaur used its neck and tail for balance. Some of them had necks longer than any other animal (although they had fewer vertebrae than the serpentine necks of the sea reptiles – plesiosaurs, who also lived in the Mesozoic era). Skyheart saw a huge dinosaur outside, it looks like a brachiosaurus / apatosaurus / diplodocus ... Daddy and Giant Duck checks it out. Part of the uncertainty about the size of the dinosaur comes from the fact that the most complete specimen is likely a juvenile. This dinosaur is the longest to have existed and an adult specimen could measure more than 175 feet from the tip of its muzzle to the end of its tail. Diplodocus was one of those gigantic sauropod dinosaurs moving at the speed of a turtle. The dinosaur lived in the late Jurassic era, between 104 million years ago to 152 million years ago. Long Neck Dinosaur: Alamosaurus The Alamosaurus is believed to have weighed around 33 tons and measured some 69 feet long. Opisthocoelicaudia is a type of sauropod that lived during the Late Cretaceous period around 70 million years ago. The dinosaur’s extremely long tail was made out of caudal vertebrae, around 80 in total and there are speculations as to the function of the spiny, whip-like tail. It is essential for many different body functions like nerve […], Our planet has a self-regulating ecosystem that stabilizes the temperature, climate, and other external environments. In comparison, a university football field is 300 feet long and a school bus measures 40 feet from bumper to bumper. Estimates place the total length of the dinosaur at around 24 m or 79 feet in length, with a weight of approximately 12 metric tons. Diplodocus is thought to be the longest known dinosaur. The Diplodocus had an extremely long whip-like tail that contained around 80 vertebrae and could reach up to 45 feet in length. The Brachiosaurus walked on all four legs. It was initially discovered in the Ojo Alamo Formation, which is a geologic formation that covers the region near Kirtland Shale, New Mexico. This dinosaur’s long neck helped it to feed at an incredible height of 49ft (15m). The lengths of these dinosaurs' necks ranged in size from very long, to slightly shorter. “As soon as I saw it, I decided I was going to spend the rest of my life studying dinosaurs.” — Robert T. Bakker. They all had at least 10 neck vertebraes but some of these dinosaurs changed some of their back vertebrae to become extra neck vertebrae. Its long neck made it look like a giraffe. They are so big in fact that current scientists can't quite understand how these dinosaurs managed to breath, beat their hearts, and basically live. Another theory for their gigantic size, is that sauropods needed lots of space in their stomachs to digest food. It is estimated that the dinosaur was somewhere around 12.8 m or 42 feet in length, and weighed approximately seven tons. We help hundreds of thousands of people every month learn about the world we live in and the latest scientific breakthroughs. It is from the formation that the dinosaur gets its name. The Diplodocus had an extremely long neck that could reach up to 21 feet in length. For a while, scientists believed it to be the longest dinosaur. Brachiosaurus was a huge animal, with four tree-trunk like legs and a long neck and tail. A male gamete is called sperm […], Table salt plays a big role in our everyday lives. The long-necked, long-tailed Brachiosaurus wasn't the biggest sauropod (which means giant, four-legged dinosaur) ever to walk the Earth, but it still ranks among the most popular dinosaurs in history, alongside Diplodocus and Apatosaurus. The sauropods were the first dinosaurs to reach gigantic sizes! Welcome to this website where I take a deep look into the dinosaur world - for young and old! The dinosaur could have been closely related to the Alamosaurus, though it is considered a member of the Titanosauria. (print help)     Prove you're human, which is bigger, 2 or 8? The houses and buildings in which we live and […], Water is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and nearly transparent chemical compound that is one of the most common substances on […], Gamete cells, also known as sex cells, are the cells responsible for sexual reproduction. Since their necks are so long making it harder to support a large skull at the end, their heads have to be relatively small compared to their large bodies. Let’s learn more about this Jurassic Giant … You can find out all about dinosaurs at our main Dinosaur Facts page. We're sorry to hear that! No one knows exactly how long a dinosaur’s lifespan was. Now we will list the long-necked dinosaurs, although it’s not all, but we giving you top 5 long-necked dinosaurs. All of the long-necked dinosaurs also have a thumb with a big claw. It was an Apatosaurus. It’s very easy to memorize, because they have common characteristics like long tails, long necks, four legs and of course, they’re herbivorous. Enjoy our fun dinosaur facts for kids and learn about everything from the ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex to the enormous Diplodocus. (privacy policy), Copyright © 1998-2020 DLTK's Inc. - All Rights Reserved. Long Neck Dinosaurs. We love feedback :-) and want your input on how to make Science Trends even better. The dinosaurs were discovered in Mongolia in part of the Gobi desert. Sauropods appeared in the late Triassic period and existed until the great extinction that occurred after the late Cretaceous period. Diplodocus carnegii Dinosaur Facts. © Jorge A. Gonzalez The dinosaur's long neck would have enabled it to reach tall conifer trees and stay in one spot while it ate, since moving such a huge body expended a lot of energy. In order to lighten their skeleton, the sauropods had pneumatic bones, which means that their bones were not solid but instead filled with air sacs. Phylogenetic attempts to determine the relationship between Haplocanthosaurus and its other sauropod brethren are inconclusive, with some studies finding it to be a primitive macronarian (more primitive than other sauropods), and others suggesting that it could be a primitive diplodocoid and closer to the Diplodocus in nature. While dinosaurs came a long time before us humans, fossils and modern technology have helped us piece together what dinosaurs may have looked like and even how they might have behaved. (contact us)     The greatest part of Diplodocus' length was taken up by its neck and tail, which differed slightly in structure: the long neck of this dinosaur was scaffolded on only 15 or so elongated vertebrae, while its tail was made up of 80 much shorter (and presumably more flexible) bones. Learn more with 10 fascinating Brachiosaurus … It was believed to be 49-52 feet long and weighed 8000 kg. Want more Science Trends? (links)     The weight of Brachiosaurus has been estimated between 30 … FACT 4. (bibliography)     Plants are difficult to digest and chewing is useful because it pre-digests the food. Scientists estimate that there were over 1,000 different species of non-avian dinosaurs and over 500 distinct genera. All of the long-necked dinosaurs also have a thumb with a big claw. These long-necked dinosaurs walked on four feet, and had very small heads in comparison to their body size. Importantly, it was the neck and upper skeleton that had these air-filled bones, but the limb bones were completely solid in order to support the body weight. We cover everything from solar power cell technology to climate change to cancer research. Nigersaurus was a “Short-Necked” Long-Necked Dinosaur. The massive size of the Diplodocus was an excellent predator deterrent. Dinosaur Extinction - How did dinosaurs become extinct? That's great to hear! It used its spoon-shaped teeth to snip off leaves from trees like conifers and tree ferns. Let us take a look at some examples, and … Its long tail had bones on the underside, a feature that has been discovered in other dinosaurs in the same family. Though still quite large compared to most animals today, the sauropod was small for members of the clade. The apatosaurus’ skull is more similar to that of the diplodocus than other sauropods like the Camarasaurus, and it was frequently confused with skulls of other dinosaurs like the Apatosaurus and the Brachiosaurus. Take a look. Scientists learn a lot about dinosaurs from … The Haplocanthosaurus was actually quite small, as far sauropods go. This would have allowed it to run on its 2 legs at very high speeds without tipping over. Photo: Tadek Kurpaski via Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY 2.0, Photo: Nobu Tamura via Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA 4.0, relationship between Haplocanthosaurus and its other sauropod brethren, Photo: LadyOfHats via Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain, The Rare Earth Elements Found In Our Pockets, Forest “Hotspots” Of High Conservation Interest – Using The Past As A Guide For Management, Eastern Himalaya Expects Future Timberline Ecotone Densification, Finding A Compromise When Inducing Small-Size Earthquakes, Correcting Computer Models Of Structures For Improved Prediction Of Dynamic Response, Female And Male Gamete Cells: Called Sex Cells, Salt Shapes T Cell Functions And Might Be Involved In Allergic Immune Reactions, Working From Cultured Cells To Identify Novel Guardian In The Progression Of Chronic Kidney Disease. The creature hatched from an egg that seems impossibly small for its size, the size of a football. Therizinosaurus is a dinosaur which lived during the late Cretaceous Periodabout 77 million years ago. They are so big in fact that current scientists can't quite understand how these dinosaurs … Continue reading "Dinosaur Extinction - Facts and Theories for Kids" Stegosaurus Diet for Kids. The tail’s length could have served to counterbalance the weight of the neck, while the spines on it could have served a defensive purpose. The Apatosaurus was a very large dinosaur, with a long neck and a whip-like tail. Since sauropods were bad chewers, they would have needed more internal structures (like large intestines) to digest their food properly. The Brachiosaurus had a long neck, a small head and a relatively short tail compared to other Sauropods. Fossilized remains of sauropods have been found virtually on every continent of the world, includin… We usually called long-necked dinosaurs as Sauropods. Ever since then, I’ve been interested in dinosaurs.” — Jack Horner. Where did they live? 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