Dino card No. 0311 of 2,027

Brontosaurus

Say it: BRON-tə-SOR-əs

Name means: “thunder lizard”1

Ate: PlantsLong-necksLate Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

Brontosaurus was a giant, long-necked dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic period. It had a long whip-like tail and ate plants, using its huge body to reach ferns and other greenery.1

Lived

155 to 143 million years ago3

Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Utah and Wyoming, USA1

Food

Plants1

Length

19 to 23 m1

largest species B. excelsus up to 21 to 23 m, smaller B. parvus up to 19 m

Weight

14 tonnes to 20 tonnes1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 3 elephants

as long as 5 cars parked in a rowas long as 130 bananas end to endas heavy as 13 carsas heavy as 4000 watermelons

How big was Brontosaurus compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

cool stuff

Fun facts

Brontosaurus was named by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1879, based on a partial skeleton found in Como Bluff, Wyoming.1

For many years, scientists thought Brontosaurus was the same as Apatosaurus, but a 2015 study showed it is a separate genus.1

The largest species, Brontosaurus excelsus, could reach up to 23 meters (75 feet) long and weigh as much as 20 tonnes (22 short tons).1

Brontosaurus had a very long neck and a whip-like tail, and its front legs were slightly shorter than its back legs.1

Young Brontosaurus grew very fast, reaching adult size in as little as 15 years.1

Brontosaurus lived about 156 to 146 million years ago during the Kimmeridgian and Tithonian ages.1

AI-made picture of Brontosaurus — An AI-made picture of how Brontosaurus might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Brontosaurus

?Is Brontosaurus a real dinosaur?

Yes, Brontosaurus is a real dinosaur. Scientists once thought it was the same as Apatosaurus, but a 2015 study showed it is a separate genus.1 2

?How big was Brontosaurus?

The largest species, Brontosaurus excelsus, reached up to 21 to 23 metres (69 to 75 ft) long and weighed 15 to 20 tonnes (17 to 22 short tons). The smaller species Brontosaurus parvus was about 19 metres (62 ft) long.1

?What did Brontosaurus eat?

Brontosaurus was a herbivore that ate plants like ferns, cycadeoids, seed ferns, and horsetails. It likely fed at ground height as a nonselective browser.1

?When did Brontosaurus live?

Brontosaurus lived during the Late Jurassic period, about 156 to 146 million years ago.1

?Where was Brontosaurus found?

Brontosaurus fossils have been found in the Morrison Formation of what is now Utah and Wyoming in the United States.1

?Why is it called Brontosaurus?

The name Brontosaurus means 'thunder lizard' in Greek, from the words brontē (thunder) and sauros (lizard).1

?How fast did Brontosaurus grow?

Young Brontosaurus grew very fast, reaching adult size in as little as 15 years. One study found they could grow up to 5,000 kg (11,000 lb) in a single year.1

?Did Brontosaurus have feathers?

No, Brontosaurus did not have feathers. It was a sauropod dinosaur with scaly skin, like other large long-necked dinosaurs.1

?What is the difference between Brontosaurus and Apatosaurus?

Brontosaurus is generally less massive and has a thinner, higher-set neck than Apatosaurus. A 2015 study found enough differences to make them separate genera.1 2

?Could Brontosaurus swim?

Scientists are not sure if Brontosaurus could swim. It lived on land and its body was built for walking on four legs, but some dinosaurs may have been able to swim.1

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Myth buster

Myth: Brontosaurus is often thought to be the same dinosaur as Apatosaurus.

Truth: While they were once considered synonyms, a 2015 study confirmed that Brontosaurus is a distinct genus from Apatosaurus.1

For dino experts

Scientific name: Brontosaurus
Named by: Marsh 18793
Group: Long-necks
Family / clade: Diplodocidae3
Classification: Sauropodomorpha > Sauropoda > Diplodocoidea3
Age of the rocks: 155 to 143 million years (Kimmeridgian / Tithonian)3
Rock formations: Morrison3
Countries: USA3
Fossil records: 23 in the Paleobiology Database3
Also known as: Elosaurus, Eobrontosaurus (older names now counted as the same animal)3
Discovery: Brontosaurus was named by American paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh in 1879, based on a partial skeleton found at Como Bluff, Wyoming.1
Still debated: Scientists still debate whether some fossils belong to Brontosaurus or its close relative Apatosaurus.1

Where the facts come from

Brontosaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
Brontosaurus: Reinstating a prehistoric icon (nhm.ac.uk)
Brontosaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

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