Illustration of Brontosaurus in the water, and Diplodocus on lan. |
His nostrils were above his eyes in a bony knob on the top of his skull. Nostrils in this unusual place indicate that Brachiosaurus could have submerged himself completely except for the top of his head sticking out of the water.
Paleontologists of this Museum were the first to find a skeleton of Brachiosaurus. They were pleased with this unusual find of the biggest dinosaur. But, unfortunately, the skeleton was in poor condition and they were not able to put it on exhibition. In 1914, fourteen years later, German paleontologists found a bigger Brachiosaurus in East Africa.
Diplodocus (dip-LAH-do-cus) was another giant plant-eating dinosaur. One skeleton measures 87 feet, making Diplodocus the longest dinosaur that is now known. Although he was longer than Brachiosaurus, he was not as heavy or as ponderously built. His teeth were more like pegs than the spoon-shaped ones of Brontosaurus. Diplodocus had nostrils near the top of his skull, and so he was also probably able to submerge in the same submarine fashion as Brachiosaurus. The large plant- eaters such as Brachiosaurus, Brontosaurus, and Diplodocus had very small brains in proportion to their large bodies.
A paleontologist from Chicago Natural History Museum excavates the upper bone of the front leg of Brachiosaurus near Grand Junction, Colorado |
Allosaurus (al-lo-SAWR-us) was a ferocious meat-eating dinosaur that lived at the same time as the plant-eating Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus. He was about thirty-four feet long and had a very large skull. His long, sharp teeth curved backward like a snake's teeth. His jaws were hinged in a very unusual manner and so he could bolt large chunks of meat. His hind legs were very heavy and muscular to support his great weight. His front legs, which were much smaller than his hind legs, were equipped with claws that he may have used in eating. He could not walk on all four legs.
Skeletons of Brontosaurus have been found in which parts of the tail bones have been bitten off. Paleontologists have discovered that the teeth of Allosaurus fit exactly into these gnawed places! That is good evidence that Allosaurus fed on Brontosaurus. He may not have actively hunted these large dinosaurs, but he may have fed on carcasses that he found.
Brontosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Diplodocus, and Allosaurus all lived during the Jurassic period.
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