When was Apatosaurus first named and by whom?
Othniel Charles Marsh named Apatosaurus ajax in November 1877. The name means deceptive lizard because the tail vertebrae resembled those of mosasaurs rather than other dinosaurs.
Questions about Apatosaurus
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the history of the Brontosaurus versus Apatosaurus debate?
Elmer Riggs published a study in 1903 claiming Brontosaurus excelsus was actually just Apatosaurus. Museums continued displaying these creatures as Brontosaurus until the first museum mount received a real Apatosaurus skull on the 20th of October 1979.
How did Apatosaurus grow and what were its physical dimensions?
A 1999 microscopic study showed Apatosaurus grew rapidly during youth with peak growth rates reaching one ton per year. Specimen SMA0014 weighed eighteen thousand kilograms and died at age twenty-eight after reaching sexual maturity at twenty-one years old.
Where and when did Apatosaurus live according to fossil evidence?
Radiometric dating places the Morrison Formation between one hundred fifty six point three million years ago and one hundred forty six point eight million years ago. Fossils appear exclusively in upper Brushy Basin Member layers dated roughly one hundred fifty two to one hundred fifty one million years ago.
What do studies say about Apatosaurus feeding habits and locomotion?
Square snouts and fine scratches on teeth indicate ground height browsing habits while trackways show ranges around ten kilometers per day possible. Top speeds might reach fifteen kilometers per hour according to some estimates and tail whips may have created sounds exceeding two hundred decibels.