Dino card No. 0095 of 2,027

Amphicoelias

Say it: am-fih-SEE-lee-us

Name means: “biconcave, meaning hollow on both sides”1

Ate: PlantsLong-necksLate Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

Amphicoelias was a giant, long-necked plant-eater that lived about 150 million years ago. It had very long and thin hind legs, and its front legs were longer than those of its close relative Diplodocus. This dinosaur was about as long as three school buses parked end to end!1

Lived

158 to 143 million years ago3

Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Colorado, USA, and possibly Zimbabwe1 2

Food

Plants1

Length

18 m1

estimate

Weight

15 tonnes1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 2.5 elephants

as long as 4 cars parked in a rowas long as 100 bananas end to endas heavy as 10 carsas heavy as 3000 watermelons

How big was Amphicoelias compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

cool stuff

Fun facts

Amphicoelias was named by the famous paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope in 1877.1

Its name means 'biconcave' because the bones of its spine were hollow on both sides.1

Amphicoelias lived in a savanna-like environment with ferns and some tall trees along rivers.1

One species once called Amphicoelias fragillimus was later renamed Maraapunisaurus in 2018.1 2

The first fossils of Amphicoelias were found by a man named Aaron Ripley in Colorado in 1877.1

Amphicoelias was lighter and more slender than many other sauropods of its time.1

AI-made picture of Amphicoelias — An AI-made picture of how Amphicoelias might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Amphicoelias

?How big was Amphicoelias?

Amphicoelias was about 18 metres (59 feet) long and weighed about 15 metric tons (17 short tons). That is longer than its close relative Diplodocus.1

?What did Amphicoelias eat?

Amphicoelias was a plant-eater that ate ferns and other plants. It lived in a savanna-like environment with some tall trees along rivers.1

?When did Amphicoelias live?

Amphicoelias lived about 150 million years ago during the Late Jurassic Period.1

?Was Amphicoelias a dinosaur?

Yes, Amphicoelias was a dinosaur. It was a sauropod, a type of long-necked, plant-eating dinosaur.1

?Where was Amphicoelias found?

Amphicoelias fossils were found in Colorado, United States, in rocks called the Morrison Formation.1

?Is Amphicoelias the biggest dinosaur?

No, Amphicoelias was not the biggest dinosaur. It was about 18 metres long, which is shorter than its relative Diplodocus. One giant species once called Amphicoelias fragillimus was later renamed Maraapunisaurus.1

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Myth buster

Myth: Some people think Amphicoelias fragillimus was the largest dinosaur ever, over 60 meters long.

Truth: That species is now considered a different dinosaur called Maraapunisaurus, and its size is uncertain because the only fossil was lost.1 2

For dino experts

Scientific name: Amphicoelias
Named by: Cope 18773
Group: Long-necks
Family / clade: Diplodocoidea3
Classification: Sauropodomorpha > Sauropoda > Diplodocoidea3
Age of the rocks: 158 to 143 million years ()3
Rock formations: Morrison, Kadzi3
Countries: USA, Zimbabwe3
Fossil records: 3 in the Paleobiology Database3
Discovery: Edward Drinker Cope named Amphicoelias in 1877 based on fossils found by Aaron Ripley in Colorado, USA.1
Still debated: Scientists are not sure if some bones, like a tooth and shoulder blade, really belong to Amphicoelias or to another dinosaur.1

Where the facts come from

Amphicoelias (en.wikipedia.org)
PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
Amphicoelias in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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