Description
Apatosaurus was a sauropod that lived during the late Jurassic period. Like most sauropods, it was an herbivore that moved about on four legs, with a long craning neck and protruding tail for balance. It is believed that Apatosaurus held its head upright for grazing, more like Brachiosaurus, and not cast forward like Diplodocus.For a long time, people used the term Brontosaurus to refer to the Apatosaurus, due to a long feud between the paleontologist-adventurers Cope and Marsh. Eventually it was decided that Marsh’s discovery took precedence, and that Apatosaurus was indeed the correct name for the genus. However, in 2015 it was resolved that Brontosaurus was a legitimate genus of its own!
Habitat
Fossil Distribution
Apatosaurus was a herbivore. It lived in the Jurassic period and inhabited North America. Its fossils have been found in places such as Utah, Texas and South Dakota.
Taxonomy
Fun Facts
Apatosaurus ajax is mapped from PBDB occurrence occ:408913 in Morrison, United States; interval Kimmeridgian to Tithonian (154.8-143.1 Ma).
PBDB interval: Kimmeridgian to Tithonian (154.8-143.1 Ma).
Fossil occurrence locality: sec. 35, T4S, R70W, Morrison, Colorado; along Dinosaur Ridge.
Formation/group: Morrison.
PBDB ecology: diet herbivore, habit ground dwelling, gregarious.