- The name “Brachiosaurus” comes from the Greek words “brachion” and “saurus,” meaning “arm lizard.”
- It got its name because its front legs were longer than its hind legs, which is unusual for dinosaurs.
- Brachiosaurus lived during the Late Jurassic period, about 150-155 million years ago.
- Fossils of Brachiosaurus have been found in North America, particularly in the Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming regions of the United States.
- The Brachiosaurus is one of the largest and heaviest dinosaurs known to have walked the Earth.
- It’s estimated that Brachiosaurus could reach up to 85 feet (26 meters) in length and possibly weigh as much as 80 tons.
- Due to its long neck, Brachiosaurus is believed to have fed on the leaves and twigs of tall trees, similar to how a modern-day giraffe does.
- Unlike most dinosaurs, Brachiosaurus had a giraffe-like stance, with a steeply sloping back and a much taller front end.
- Its long neck probably allowed it to reach food other herbivores couldn’t, giving it a unique ecological role.
- Brachiosaurus had a relatively small skull compared to the size of its body. The skull was broad at the rear and had a snout that was square and blunt.
- It’s believed that Brachiosaurus could have lived for up to 100 years.
- The Brachiosaurus had nostrils on the top of its head, which some scientists believe could have been used as a “snorkel” when the dinosaur was in deep water.
- The dinosaur had chisel-like teeth for stripping foliage.
- Brachiosaurus was a quadrupedal dinosaur, meaning it walked on four legs.
- It was first discovered and described by American paleontologist Elmer S. Riggs in 1903.
- Because of its unique body shape and massive size, Brachiosaurus has often been portrayed in pop culture, including in movies like Jurassic Park.
- A full-sized model of a Brachiosaurus was put on display at the Berlin’s Natural History Museum and for many years it was the tallest mounted dinosaur skeleton in the world.
- Unlike many other sauropods, Brachiosaurus had a long tail that was thin and pointed, not heavy or club-like.
- The dinosaur had a single large claw on each front limb, and the first three toes on its rear feet had claws.
- Paleontologists believe that Brachiosaurus may have traveled in herds or family groups, based on the way their fossils have been found.
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