A robust long neck
Apatosaurus had a sturdier neck and body than the more slender Diplodocus.
A REAL DINOSAUR. A SUSPICIOUSLY FAMILIAR PERSONALITY.
APATOSAURUS.
A substantial presence.
You do not need to be the loudest person in the room. You are the room's load-bearing wall. Dependable, quietly stubborn, and extremely difficult to rush.
SIGNATURE MOVESolving a problem by simply remaining there until it improves.
SPECIMEN 19 / LATE JURASSIC
APATOSAURUS LOUISAE · HERBIVORE
APATOSAURUS LOUISAE · HERBIVOREConnor Ashbridge · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Meet the actual dinosaur THE ACTUAL SCIENCE STARTS HERE
Meet the real Apatosaurus.
The jokes are ours.
The animal was very real.
- WHEN
- 152–151 million years ago
- ON THE MENU
- Herbivore
- LENGTH
- About 21–23 m
- BODY MASS
- Roughly 16–23 tonnes
The Brontosaurus story
Brontosaurus was long treated as a synonym of Apatosaurus; a major 2015 analysis argued for recognizing it separately.
A small, long skull
Its correct skull was long and low. Early reconstructions sometimes used an incorrect, bulkier head.
A long counterbalance
The extended tail balanced the long neck and heavy torso.
Morrison herbivore
It shared the Late Jurassic Morrison ecosystem with other enormous plant-eaters.
Column-like limbs
Weight-bearing limbs and broad feet supported a many-tonne body on land.
A little room for discovery.
Sauropod taxonomy and mass estimates continue to change as specimens are compared using different anatomical and modeling methods.
Read more: Apatosaurus on Wikipedia · Research and references. Facts are summarized in our own words. Size and date ranges are approximate; estimates vary by specimen and study. Gallery images may include other species within the genus.
A closer look.
Fossils, museum displays, and published reconstructions. Artwork shows an interpretation; it is not a photograph of a living dinosaur.
Is this your prehistoric alter ego?
Eight questions and an optional face scan will settle this. Very unofficially.