Dino card No. 0936 of 2,027

Kaatedocus

Say it: KAH-tay-DOH-kus

Name means: “small beam”1

Ate: PlantsLong-necksLate Jurassic

Kaatedocus was a long-necked sauropod that lived in what is now Wyoming during the Late Jurassic. It was smaller than many of its relatives, only about 14 metres long. Its well-preserved skull and neck helped scientists learn how sauropods held their heads.1 2

Lived

155 to 149 million years ago4

Late Jurassic

Fossils found in

Wyoming, USA3 1

Food

Plants3 1

Length

14 m1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

as long as 3 cars parked in a rowas long as 78 bananas end to end

How big was Kaatedocus compared to YOU?

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

cool stuff

Fun facts

Kaatedocus was named in 2012 by paleontologists Emanuel Tschopp and Octávio Mateus.1

Its name comes from the Crow Indian word 'kaate' meaning 'small' and 'docus' from Diplodocus, so 'small beam'.1

The only known specimen includes a nearly complete skull and a neck made of at least 14 vertebrae.1

The skull and neck together measured about 3.8 metres (12 feet) long.1

The fossils were originally thought to belong to Barosaurus or Diplodocus before being recognized as a new dinosaur.2

Scientists used CT scans and 3D printing to study Kaatedocus's neck vertebrae and learn how sauropods held their necks upright.1

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

?How big was Kaatedocus?

About 14 metres (46 feet) long. That is smaller than many of its relatives like Diplodocus.1 2

?What did Kaatedocus eat?

Plants. It was a sauropod with peg-like teeth at the front of its mouth, good for stripping leaves.2

?When did Kaatedocus live?

It lived during the Late Jurassic, about 155 million years ago.1

?Why is it called Kaatedocus?

Its name comes from the Crow Indian word 'kaate' meaning 'small' and 'docus' from Diplodocus, so 'small beam'.1

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Myth buster

Myth: Some scientists thought Kaatedocus was just a young Barosaurus or Diplodocus.

Truth: Kaatedocus is now considered a distinct genus based on unique features in its skull and vertebrae.2

For dino experts

Scientific name: Kaatedocus
Named by: Tschopp and Mateus 20134
Group: Long-necks
Family / clade: Dicraeosauridae4
Classification: Sauropodomorpha > Sauropoda > Diplodocoidea4
Age of the rocks: 155 to 149 million years (Kimmeridgian)4
Rock formations: Morrison4
Countries: USA4
Fossil records: 1 in the Paleobiology Database4
Discovery: Fossils were first excavated in 1934 by Barnum Brown's team at Howe Quarry in Wyoming. The dinosaur was named Kaatedocus siberi in 2012 by Emanuel Tschopp and Octávio Mateus.1
Still debated: Scientists are not sure if Kaatedocus is a distinct genus or a juvenile of another sauropod like Barosaurus.2

Where the facts come from

Kaatedocus (en.wikipedia.org)
Jurassic Boneyard Yields Hidden Dinosaur | National Geographic (nationalgeographic.com)
PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
Kaatedocus 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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