Apatosaurus
Apatosaurus louisae
Apatosaurus foi um terópode herbívoro do Jurássico, descrito por Othniel Charles Marsh. Viveu há aproximadamente 156.3-145.0 milhões de anos, na região do que hoje é América do Norte (EUA). Medindo de 21.0-23.0 m, pesando 16.4-22.4 tons, era um representante característico da fauna mesozoica.
Apatosaurus (; meaning "deceptive lizard") is a genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Jurassic period. Othniel Charles Marsh described and named the first-known species, Apatosaurus ajax, in 1877, and a second species, Apatosaurus louisae, was discovered and named by William H. Holland in 1916. Apatosaurus lived about 152 to 151 million years ago (mya), during the late Kimmeridgian to early Tithonian age, and are now known from fossils in the Morrison Formation of modern-day Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Utah in the United States. Apatosaurus had an average length of 21–23 m (69–75 ft), and an average mass of 16.4–22.4 t (16.1–22.0 long tons; 18.1–24.7 short tons). A few specimens indicate a maximum length of 11–30% greater than average and a mass of approximately 33 t (32 long tons; 36 short tons).
Apatosaurus is a member of the diplodocid family, differing from Diplodocus proper in primarily robustness in the cervical vertebrae and the leg bones. The cervical vertebrae of Apatosaurus are less elongated and more heavily constructed than those of Diplodocus and the bones of the leg are much stockier despite being longer, implying that Apatosaurus was a more robust animal. The tail was held above the ground during normal locomotion. Apatosaurus had a single claw on each forelimb and three on each hindlimb. The Apatosaurus skull, long thought to be similar to Camarasaurus, is much more similar to that of Diplodocus. Apatosaurus was a generalized browser that likely held its head elevated. To lighten its vertebrae, Apatosaurus had air sacs that made the bones internally full of holes.…
- Família
- Diplodocidae
- Ordem
- Saurischia
- Período
- Jurassic (156.3-145.0 MYA)
- Dieta
- Herbivore
- Comprimento
- 21.0-23.0 m
- Peso
- 16.4-22.4 tons
Fatos científicos
- Com 21.0-23.0 m, estava entre os maiores animais terrestres já descobertos
- Herbívoro especializado do Jurássico, provavelmente pastava em vegetação de América do Norte (EUA)
- Seus fósseis foram encontrados na região de América do Norte (EUA), contribuindo para o entendimento da fauna jurássico local
- Foi descrito cientificamente por Othniel Charles Marsh, contribuindo para o entendimento da diversidade dinossauriana