Brachiosaurus and Brontosaurus: An Introduction
Brachiosaurus means ‘arm lizard’ (named due to its unusually long limbs), which was a giant and giraffe-like dinosaur. Brachiosaurus long-neck dinosaurs were found in North America, Africa, and Tanzania in the mid to late Jurassic period, i.e. 155.7 million to 150.8 million years ago.
Brontosaurus is a large sauropod dinosaur which lived between the late Jurassic to the early Cretaceous period, i.e. 163.5 million to 100.5 million years ago. It is one of the best-known dinosaurs.
What is Brachiosaurus?
Brachiosaurus is known as one of the tallest dinosaurs on Earth that had larger front legs and shorter hind legs. These features made it easier to hold its neck up.
Brachiosaurus size was 31'-43' tall, body 59'-69' long, and 8'-11' broad, and weight was more than 50 tons. They were herbivores that depended mainly on gymnosperms such as cycads, ginkgos, and conifers.
These were used to eat up approximately 400 kg of plant dry matter every day. This giant dinosaur had a distinct large nare over its skull and also had a short tail at its back end.
Large air sacs connected to the lung system were present in the neck and trunk. These invaded the vertebrae and ribs by bone resorption and greatly reduced the overall body density.
The neck was held in a slight S-shaped curve, with the lower and upper sections of the body bent and the middle section straight.
Brachiosaurus had very elongated neck ribs that ran down the underside of the neck, overlapping various preceding vertebrae.
These bony structures were attached to neck muscles at their ends and allowed these muscles to operate in distal portions of the neck.
At the same time, these bony rods themselves were being located closer to the trunk, lightening the distal neck portions.
Brachiosaurus probably had a small shoulder hump between the third and fifth dorsal vertebra, where the sideward and upward-directed vertebral processes were longer.
The rib cage was deep compared to other sauropod dinosaurs.
What is Brontosaurus?
Brontosaurus was named ‘thunder lizard’ by Othniel Charles Marsh as he had thought that the ground must have thundered when such a huge animal walked by.
There are three species: B. excelsus, B. yahnahton, and B. parvus. The most special feature of this giant dinosaur is its long whip-like tail used as a weapon. They were herbivores and had long necks.
They had forelimbs that were shorter than their hindlimbs. Brontosaurus's height was 28 feet, length was 72 to 85 feet, and they had a weight of 30.5 tons.
They were one of the longest dinosaurs that lived on earth.
The vertebrae of the neck of Bractosaurs were deeply bifurcated, i.e. they carried spines that were paired, leading to a wide and deep neck.
The spine and tail included 15 cervicals, ten dorsals, five sacrals, and about 82 caudals.
The dorsal ribs were neither fused nor tightly attached to their vertebrae, instead being loosely articulated. Ten dorsal ribs were on either side of the body.
The large neck was filled with an immense system of weight-saving air sacs.
Similarities Between Brachiosaurus and Brontosaurus
Brontosaurus and Brachiosaurus are two giant dinosaurs, and both of them had long necks.
Both of them were herbivores.
They are sauropod dinosaurs.
The Difference Between the Brontosaurus and Brachiosaurus
Brachiosaurus is a giraffe-like dinosaur that lived in the mid to late Jurassic period on the earth.
On the other hand, Brontosaurus is an elephant-like dinosaur that was present on the earth from the late Jurassic period to the early Cretaceous period. Brachiosaurus was heavier as well as around 20 feet taller than Brontosaurus. Additionally, there was a remarkable difference in their limb sizes as well. Brachiosaurus had larger and longer forelimbs than hind limbs. While Brontosaurus had slightly shorter forelimbs than hind limbs. On top of that, Brachiosaurus had a large nare, while Brontosaurus didn’t have one.
Interesting Facts
Adults of Brontosaurus and Brachiosaurus could live up to 100 years.
Brontosaurus and Brachiosaurus are one of the most famous movie dinosaurs.
In 1989, the United States Post Office issued four new stamps that included the Brontosaurus.
Key Features of The Cambrian Explosion
Brontosaurus and Brachiosaurus are two giant dinosaurs that are found on Earth.
Brontosaurus was named ‘thunder lizard’ while Brachiosaurus is known as one of the tallest dinosaurs on Earth.
Both the Brachiosaurus and Brontosaurus were sauropods.
Brachiosaurus long-neck dinosaurs were found in the mid to late Jurassic period, i.e. 155.7 million to 150.8 million years ago.
Brontosaurus is a large sauropod dinosaur which lived between the late Jurassic to the early Cretaceous period, i.e. 163.5 million to 100.5 million years ago.
FAQs on Brachiosaurus v/s Brontosaurus
1. In which of the genus Brontosaurus was included previously?
Brontosaurus was very similar to Apatosaurus; it was included under the genus Apatosaurus. Although, due to distinct characteristics possessed by these dinosaurs, they were categorised into a separate genus.
2. What were the special features of Brontosaurus as a herbivore?
Brontosaurus had a long, thin neck and a small head, which were adapted for a herbivorous lifestyle. Besides, those other features were a bulky, heavy torso and a long, whip-like tail.
3. To which family Brachiosaurus is related?
Brachiosaurus is related to the family Brachiosauridae, which includes other similar sauropods also.
4. Where was the Brontosaurus first discovered?
Brontosaurus was a large sauropod, a group of typically large dinosaurs with long necks and long tails that lived during the Late Jurassic Period, about 156 to 145 million years ago. The first evidence of Brontosaurus was discovered in the 1870s in the USA.
5. Why was Brontosaurus killed?
The Brontosaurus, a member of a family of dinosaurs that walked on four legs with long necks and long tails known as sauropods, was the victim of a bone war that was played out over a hundred years ago.
