Apatosaurus (name meaning "deceptive lizard"), is a genus of sauropod dinosaur which lived during the late Jurassic period in the United States of America.
Facts[]
Apatosaurus was a sauropod dinosaur. It was one of the largest land animals that ever existed, with an average length of at least 27 meters (90 ft) and a mass of 20-30 tons. There are many larger Apatosaurus specimens that may represent adult animals close to 30 meters long and 50 tons in weight.
Apatosaurus were dinosaurs that traveled in herds as the other sauropods did. They were giant fortresses of flesh, but were too large for most predators to attack, even by fully grown Allosaurus.
The name Apatosaurus means 'deceptive lizard', so-given by Othniel Marsh in 1877 because the chevron bones were similar to those of a prehistoric marine lizard, Mosasaurus. Two years later, Marsh found more sauropod bones and named them Brontosaurus. Over the years, Brontosaurus was thought to be a synonym of Apatosaurus until 2015 when an extensive study proved that Brontosaurus was indeed distinct from Apatosaurus.
In Walking with... series[]
The Ballad of Big Al[]
Apatosaurus appeared as a background dinosaur numerous times in the special. A herd of them was seen traveling on the open prairies, through green lands and through a desert during a drought.
Walking with Monsters[]
In extended edition, a stock footage from The Ballad of Big Al with Anurognathus, Brachiosaurus, Stegosaurus, Othnielia and Apatosaurus was reused at the end of the series.
Walking with Dinosaurs: Inside Their World[]
Apatosaurus is one of the viewable dinosaurs in this app.
Appearance in other media[]
When Dinosaurs Roamed America[]
Read more at the When Dinosaurs Roamed America Wiki
Apatosaurus was one of the dinosaurs featured in the Late Jurassic segment of the film.
Jurassic Park[]
Read more at the Jurassic Park Wiki
The Land Before Time[]
Read more at the The Land Before Time Dinopedia Wiki
We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story[]
Read more at the We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story Wiki
Trivia[]
- The Apatosaurus model in the Ballad of Big Al is actually the Diplodocus model but without the spines and the striped tail. It also has a different color scheme and is stockier and more robust than Diplodocus. Its head is also more robust and based on the real Apatosaurus skull.
Gallery[]
