15 Unknown Facts about Brontosaurus

Brontosaurus is a gigantic lizard lived during the late Jurassic Epoch. It is one of the biggest lizard that The World has ever produced. Here are some unknown facts about Brontosaurus, which will amaze you.

1. The Brontosaurus is described as looking a bit like a large brontolite (a large sarsen bone belonging to the conodont fauna). It is supposed to have looked like a “spined, rather pale-looking” lizard, according to early 20th century paleontologist Henry Oscar Brander, which “excelled in all the qualities of the giant herbivores which existed before that time,” such as the brontoduroids and Ichthyopterygia (octopus, squid, and fish).

2. According to Brander (1912), the Brontosaurus lived in North America around 97 million years ago, at a time when the supercontinent Pangaea was much more intact. As a result, Brontosaurus lived along with the Tyrannosaurus, Edmontosaurus, Giganotosaurus, Camarasaurus, and Troodon, among other animals.

3. Brontosaurus means “bronze lizard” or “blue lizard,” from the Latin bronti, “stone lizards” and brontum, “to spread.”

4. While Brontosaurus has been found on several continents, it’s only known from Antarctica. According to Brander (1911), the Brontosaurus was found in the Lake Baikal region, which was surrounded by high mountains.

5. Brontosaurus wasn’t as large as the many other sauropods, such as Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus, and was smaller than the megaraptorans.

6. According to Brander (1912), Brontosaurus was a relatively primitive animal and was likely carnivorous. It had six toes on the front of its foot and two-toed feet at the back, which Brander said were “irregularly symmetrical.” Also, Brontosaurus had a small horn on its head, which Brander said was “thin, twisted, and fragile,” but not very sharp, and it probably occurred as a primitive diplodocoid trait.

7. Brontosaurus belongs to the clade Sarcosauria, which is considered the only reptilian clade. However, many scientists think there are good reasons to split the sauropod dinosaurs from the other reptiles. Some scientists suggest that sauropods are different enough from other reptiles to be split into two groups, which are called Sauropodomorpha (extinct herbivorous dinosaurs) and Ornithischia (large meat-eaters).

8. Brontosaurus’ name is misleading because Brontosaurus actually lived in North America, while Brontosaurus belongs to the family Brontosauridae, which is only found in the continent of Australia.

9. The Brontosaurus is one of the oldest known land animals. Fossil bones and footprints of the brontosaurus were found in Utah from around 130 million years ago. Their bones and prints were first described in 1863.

10. The Brontosaurus was much bigger than other giant prehistoric lizards and mammals, such as alligators, pterodactyls, and the Pterosauria (pterosaur wings). Scientists estimate that the largest brontosaur was around 20 meters (65 feet) long, and weighed up to 2,100 kilograms (4,600 pounds).

11. In the modern world, the Brontosaurus is probably one of the most famous prehistoric animals. It has the longest known scientific name (the “Brontosaurus Glamour” book) and the highest number of species (11, plus a few dozen juveniles).

12. The name of the Brontosaurus is different from that of another ancient dinosaur, Apatosaurus, which means “edge lizard.”

13. A large Brontosaurus skeleton and eggs were discovered in Texas by Bernard Bell in the 1920s. The eggs of the Brontosaurus were from a female called Brontosaurus rex, which weighed around 200 kilograms (400 pounds).

14. Brontosaurus skeletons have a different head shape from those of most sauropod dinosaurs. Some researchers think this is because the Brontosaurus had a more powerful neck. This appears to be similar to the neck shape of birds. It is thought to have been a warm-blooded creature, as all sauropod dinosaurs appear to have been.

15. According to the Smithsonian Institute, the Brontosaurus was the first dinosaur named in a scientific journal.