Camarasaurus
Camarasaurus supremus
Camarasaurus foi um terópode herbívoro do Jurássico, descrito por Edward Drinker Cope. Viveu há aproximadamente 156.3-145.0 milhões de anos, na região do que hoje é América do Norte (EUA). Medindo de 15.0-18.0 m, pesando 15.0-25.0 tons, era um representante característico da fauna mesozoica.
Camarasaurus ( KAM-ər-ə-SOR-əs) is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic, between c. 155 and 145 million years ago, in North America. Named by Edward Drinker Cope in 1877, it contains four species: C. supremus, C. grandis, C. lentus, and C. lewisi. The name Camarasaurus means 'chambered lizard', referring to the hollow chambers, known as pleurocoels, in its cervical vertebrae. Over 530 specimens have been excavated in sedimentary rocks of the Morrison Formation, including several complete skeletons. It is among the best understood dinosaurs.
A medium-to-large sauropod, C. supremus is estimated to have been 23 m (75 ft) long and to have weighed 42.3 tonnes, whereas C. lentus was only around 15 m (49 ft) long. It was a bulky sauropod with a proportionally wide rib cage. The skull was proportionally larger and more strongly built than in other sauropods, with powerful jaws allowing for high bite forces. The teeth were spoon-shaped and formed a continuous cutting edge. It had 13–14 teeth in each side of the upper jaw and 13 teeth in each side of the lower jaw, which were rapidly replaced. Camarasaurus was named during the Bone Wars, a rivalry between paleontologists Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh. Marsh assigned many species to his genus Morosaurus, including M. lentus and M. grandis, which are now assigned to Camarasaurus.
Camarasaurus is a member of the group Macronaria. Some paleontologists have grouped Camarasaurus with taxa like Tehuelchesaurus and Lourinhasaurus in the family Camarasauridae, whereas others consider it as the only member of Camarasauridae. Camarasaurus was probably a selective feeder that fed at a height of 2 to 5 m (6 ft 7 in to 16 ft 5 in). Known specimen range from a presumed embryo to an individual that probably reached 40 years of age, one of the highest ages reported for an individual dinosaur. Camarasaurus also lived alongside dinosaurs like Stegosaurus, Allosaurus, and Brachiosaurus.
- Família
- Camarasauridae
- Ordem
- Saurischia
- Período
- Jurassic (156.3-145.0 MYA)
- Dieta
- Herbivore
- Comprimento
- 15.0-18.0 m
- Peso
- 15.0-25.0 tons
Fatos científicos
- Seu comprimento de 15.0-18.0 m o tornava um dos maiores predadores/herbívoros da sua região
- 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 Edward Drinker Cope, contribuindo para o entendimento da diversidade dinossauriana