Dino card No. 1729 of 2,027

Supersaurus

Say it: SOO-per-SORE-us

Name means: “super lizard”1

Ate: PlantsLong-necksLate Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

Supersaurus was one of the longest dinosaurs that ever lived. It had a very long neck and tail, and it walked on all four legs. This giant plant-eater lived in what is now the western United States during the Jurassic Period.5

Lived

155 to 143 million years ago5

Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Colorado and Wyoming, USA5 2

Food

Plants5

Length

33 to 34 m2

estimate based on incomplete fossils

Weight

35 tonnes to 40 tonnes2

Height

5 to 6 m2

at the hips

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

How tall was it?

at the hips

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 7 elephants

as long as 8 cars parked in a rowas long as 190 bananas end to endas heavy as 8000 watermelonsas tall as 3 doors stacked up

How big was Supersaurus compared to YOU?

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

cool stuff

Fun facts

Supersaurus was named in 1985 by paleontologist James Jensen.1

Its fossils were found in the Dry Mesa Quarry in Colorado, which is part of the Morrison Formation.1

Some bones that were once thought to be from a different dinosaur, called Ultrasaurus, are now considered to belong to Supersaurus.2

Supersaurus lived about 152 to 145 million years ago, during the Late Jurassic.2

It was a diplodocine, meaning it was closely related to Diplodocus and had a whip-like tail.5

Scientists think Supersaurus may have been one of the longest dinosaurs, possibly over 33 meters (108 feet) long.2

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

?How long was Supersaurus?

Supersaurus was one of the longest dinosaurs, reaching 33 to 40 meters (108 to 131 ft) in length, and the largest individual may have exceeded 40 meters (131 ft).3

?How much did Supersaurus weigh?

It weighed about 35 to 44 metric tons, similar to several large elephants.3

?What did Supersaurus eat?

Supersaurus was a plant-eater (herbivorous). It used its long neck to reach leaves from tall trees.4

?When did Supersaurus live?

Supersaurus lived during the Late Jurassic period, about 153 to 145 million years ago.3

?Where was Supersaurus found?

Its fossils were found in the Dry Mesa Quarry in Colorado, USA, and a more complete specimen was found in Wyoming.3

?Was Supersaurus bigger than T. rex?

Yes, Supersaurus was much longer and heavier than T. rex. Supersaurus reached over 33 meters (108 ft) long, while T. rex was about 12 meters (39 ft) long.3

?Is Supersaurus a dinosaur?

Yes, Supersaurus is a dinosaur. It is a type of sauropod, a long-necked plant-eater.3

?Why is it called Supersaurus?

Its name means 'super lizard' because it was one of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered.4

Ask Rex about Supersaurus

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Myth buster

Myth: Some people think Supersaurus was the heaviest dinosaur ever.

Truth: Supersaurus was very long but not the heaviest. It weighed about 35 to 40 tonnes, which is less than some other sauropods like Argentinosaurus.2

For dino experts

Scientific name: Supersaurus
Named by: Jensen 19855
Group: Long-necks
Family / clade: Diplodocidae5
Classification: Sauropodomorpha > Sauropoda > Diplodocoidea5
Age of the rocks: 155 to 143 million years (Kimmeridgian / Tithonian)5
Rock formations: Morrison5
Countries: USA5
Fossil records: 5 in the Paleobiology Database5
Also known as: Dystylosaurus, Ultrasauros, Ultrasaurus (older names now counted as the same animal)5
Discovery: Supersaurus was named by James Jensen in 1985 based on a large shoulder blade found in the Dry Mesa Quarry in Colorado.1
Still debated: Scientists are still unsure about the exact size of Supersaurus because only a few bones have been found.2

Where the facts come from

1985. "Three new sauropod dinosaurs from the Upper Jurassic of Colorado." The Great Basin naturalist 45, 697?709. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.4439. (biodiversitylibrary.org)
PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
Supersaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
Supersaurus | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
Supersaurus 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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