Dino card No. 0244 of 2,027

Barosaurus

Say it: BARR-oh-SORE-us

Name means: “heavy lizard”1

Ate: PlantsLong-necksLate Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

Barosaurus was a giant, long-necked plant eater that lived about 150 million years ago. It was one of the biggest animals of its time, with a neck so long it could reach high into the trees. But it probably kept its head low and swept its neck like a vacuum cleaner to munch on plants.1 2

Lived

158 to 143 million years ago4

Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Fossils have been found in the United States (South Dakota, Utah, Montana, and possibly Colorado, Wyoming, and Oklahoma) and in Tanzania and Zimbabwe in Africa.1 2 4

Food

Plants1 4

Length

25 to 27 m1

some adults measured about 25 to 27 m

Weight

12 tonnes to 20 tonnes1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

as long as 6 cars parked in a rowas long as 150 bananas end to endas heavy as 13 carsas heavy as 3 elephantsas heavy as 4000 watermelons

How big was Barosaurus compared to YOU?

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cool stuff

Fun facts

Barosaurus had 16 neck bones, more than its close relatives Diplodocus and Apatosaurus, and some of those neck bones were up to 50% longer.1

Its tail made up about half of its total body length, even though its tail was shorter than Diplodocus's tail.1

Barosaurus had only 9 back bones, while Diplodocus and Apatosaurus had 10. Scientists think one back bone may have turned into a neck bone.1

A study from 2016 suggested that Barosaurus could bend its neck from side to side a lot, but not up and down much. So it probably fed on low plants, not high trees.1

Some scientists think a dinosaur this big would have needed a huge 1.6-ton heart, and maybe even extra 'helper hearts' in its neck to pump blood to its brain.1

Barosaurus lived alongside famous dinosaurs like Allosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Brontosaurus in the Morrison Formation.1

AI-made picture of Barosaurus — An AI-made picture of how Barosaurus 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 Barosaurus

?How big was Barosaurus?

About 25 to 27 metres (82 to 89 feet) long and weighed 12 to 20 tonnes (13 to 22 short tons).1

?What did Barosaurus eat?

It was a plant eater (herbivore). It probably fed on low plants by sweeping its neck from side to side like a vacuum cleaner.1 2

?When did Barosaurus live?

It lived during the Late Jurassic period, about 152 to 150 million years ago.1

?Where was Barosaurus found?

Fossils have been found in the United States, especially in South Dakota, Utah, Montana, and possibly Colorado, Wyoming, and Oklahoma.1

?Is Barosaurus a dinosaur?

Yes, it is a dinosaur, a large sauropod dinosaur.1

?Was Barosaurus bigger than T. rex?

Yes, Barosaurus was much longer and heavier than Tyrannosaurus rex. Barosaurus reached 25 to 27 metres, while T. rex was about 12 metres long.1

?Did Barosaurus have feathers?

No one knows for sure, but no feathers have been found on Barosaurus fossils. A rare skin imprint shows scales, not feathers.3

?Could Barosaurus swim?

Probably not. It was a land animal with a long neck and tail, built for walking on land, not swimming.1

Ask Rex about Barosaurus

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Myth buster

Myth: Some people think Barosaurus is the same as Brontosaurus or Diplodocus.

Truth: Barosaurus is a different genus, though it is closely related to Diplodocus. It had a longer neck and shorter tail than Diplodocus.1

For dino experts

Scientific name: Barosaurus
Named by: Marsh 18904
Group: Long-necks
Family / clade: Diplodocidae4
Classification: Sauropodomorpha > Sauropoda > Diplodocoidea4
Age of the rocks: 158 to 143 million years ()4
Rock formations: Morrison, Kadzi4
Countries: USA, Zimbabwe4
Fossil records: 19 in the Paleobiology Database4
Also known as: Gigantosaurus (older names now counted as the same animal)4
Discovery: The first Barosaurus fossils were found in 1889 in South Dakota by Isabella R. Ellerman, and then excavated by Othniel Charles Marsh and John Bell Hatcher. Marsh named it Barosaurus lentus in 1890.1
Still debated: Scientists still debate how Barosaurus held its neck and how blood reached its brain. Some think it held its neck low, while others think it could raise it high.1

Where the facts come from

Barosaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
Barosaurus | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
Barosaurus lentus - Dinosaur National Monument (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
Barosaurus 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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