Dicraeosaurus Facts
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 3m |
| Length | 13m |
| Weight | 5 tonnes |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Jurassic |
| Period | Late Jurassic |
| Type | Sauropod |
| Location | Tanzania |

| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 3m |
| Length | 13m |
| Weight | 5 tonnes |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Jurassic |
| Period | Late Jurassic |
| Type | Sauropod |
| Location | Tanzania |
Dicraeosaurus was a distinctive sauropod dinosaur that roamed the ancient landscapes of what is now Tanzania during the Late Jurassic period, approximately 161 to 149 million years ago. Unlike its massive cousins such as Brontosaurus or Diplodocus, this sauropod was relatively modest in size, measuring about 13 metres in length and standing roughly 3 metres tall at the hip. What truly set Dicraeosaurus apart were the remarkable forked neural spines along its neck, which gave the dinosaur its name meaning 'forked lizard'.
The most striking feature of Dicraeosaurus was its unusually short neck compared to other sauropods. Whilst most long-necked dinosaurs had necks comprising 12-15 vertebrae, Dicraeosaurus possessed only 12 relatively short neck bones topped with distinctive Y-shaped spines. These spines likely supported powerful muscles and may have been covered by a prominent ridge or sail-like structure along the neck and back.
As a herbivore, Dicraeosaurus used its shorter neck to browse vegetation at low to medium heights, probably feeding on ferns, cycads, and conifers. Its teeth were simple, peg-like structures designed for stripping leaves rather than chewing, meaning it swallowed plant material whole and relied on gastroliths (stomach stones) to help digest tough plant fibres.
Dicraeosaurus shared its environment with other famous dinosaurs including the massive sauropod Giraffatitan and the fearsome predator Allosaurus, making the Tendaguru Formation one of the most diverse dinosaur ecosystems known from the Jurassic period.
Dicraeosaurus had distinctively forked, Y-shaped neural spines running along its neck and back, which were much more prominent than in other sauropods. Its neck was also unusually short for a sauropod, giving it a more compact appearance compared to its long-necked relatives.
Dicraeosaurus likely lived in small herds and used its shorter neck to browse vegetation at low to medium heights, avoiding direct competition with longer-necked sauropods. The prominent spines along its neck may have been used for display purposes or to support a distinctive crest that could have been used for species recognition.
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Saurischia |
| Family | Dicraeosauridae |
| Genus | Dicraeosaurus |
Dicraeosaurus was first described by Werner Janensch in 1914. The original fossils were discovered at Tendaguru Formation, Lindi Region, Tanzania.