Apatosaurus Facts

Apatosaurus is a species of dinosaur that lived during the late Jurassic period, around 150 to 145 million years ago.

Apatosaurus lived in a variety of environments, including floodplains, forests, and coastal regions. Its fossils have been found in many places around North and Central America.

The Apatosaurus was part of the sauropod family of dinosaurs which were typically large animals with long necks and tails. It was a herbivore so would have likely spent much of its time grazing on vegetation, such as ferns, cycads, and conifers.

Apatosaurus was a very large dinosaur and could grow up to 23 meters long and 15 meters tall, measured to the hip. It had a hump on its back which is thought could have been used to store fat reserves similar to a camel.

A distinguishing feature of Apatosaurus is its long tail, which was likely used for balance and as a defence mechanism. Some palaeontologists suggest that the tail may have been used to whip predators, while others propose that it could have been used to make a loud noise as a warning signal or mating dance. Additionally, the Apatosaurus had a unique skeletal structure that allowed for a vertical neck posture, which would have allowed it to graze on taller vegetation.

The Apatosaurus is a newer name for one of the older most well-known dinosaurs, the Brontosaurus. Initially, it was thought that these were two different species but scientists have come to an agreement that they are in fact the same species and that the name Apatosaurus should be used.