Apatosaurus and Brachiosaurus are dinosaurs that belong to the Sauropod clade. They lived in the late Jurassic period. They are characterised by a long neck, long tail, four-pillar like legs and a comparatively small head. The well-known members of this family include Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, Brachiosaurus and Brontosaurus.
Apatosaurus
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Family: Diplodocidae
Genus: Apatosaurus
Apatosaurus is a herbivorous sauropod with a long tail and long neck. It is commonly known as the deceptive lizard. Their head is relatively smaller as compared to their large body. They lived 156-151 million years ago in the Jurassic period. They have a distinctive whiplike tail, which could produce a supersonic sound.
Fossil evidence suggests that these species were mostly terrestrial because of their webbed feet. They have chiselled teeth that support their herbivorous diet. Apatosaurus ajax and Apatosaurus louisae are two well known researched species of the genera.
Brachiosaurus
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Family: Brachiosauridae
Genus: Brachiosaurus
Brachiosaurus, commonly known as arm lizard, has a long neck, with a relatively smaller skull size. Their body overall is huge weighing upto 80 tonnes. They existed in the late Jurassic to early Cretaceous period and are one of the heaviest known reptiles.
They have a distinctive feature where their hindlimbs are shorter than the forelimbs. This disproportionality in their limbs allowed them to lift their limbs upto as high as 12m to reach the high branches for feeding. Their nasal bones were arched and provided a space for breathing while eating. This also led the scientists to believe that the Brachiosaurus spent most of their time submerged in water. However, there is no full-proof evidence for the same.
Apatosaurus vs Brachiosaurus
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Apatosaurus are members of the sauropod family that have small heads, long necks and a very large body. |
Brachiosaurus are members of the sauropod family that have shorter hindlimbs as compared to the forelimbs. |
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The hindlimbs were longer than the forelimbs. |
Brachiosaurus had distinctive legs, with longer forelimbs and shorter hindlimbs. |
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Almost 45 tonnes. |
Almost 80 tonnes. |
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23 metres. |
25 metres. |
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They lived about 156 to 151 million years ago. |
They lived about 150 to 130 million years ago. |
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Their tails were long and whiplike. |
The tails were smaller. |
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Peg-like teeth. |
Pencil-like teeth with bevelled edges. |
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Also Read:
- Explore Interesting Facts about Dinosaurs
- How did the dinosaurs become extinct?
- Who First Discovered Dinosaurs?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a Brontosaurus and an Apatosaurus?
Initially, Brontosaurus and Apatosaurus were considered the same species. But eventually, they were differentiated on the basis of their body. Apatosaurus were more robust and massive than Brontosaurus.
What is the difference between Diplodocus and Apatosaurus?
Apatosaurus was mightier and stouter than the Diplodocus. The Diplodocus were thinner and longer in their physical appearance.
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