Vulcanodon

Vulcanodon was one of the earliest known sauropods, but it was much smaller than later giants like Brachiosaurus.1

Its name comes from the volcano god Vulcan, because its bones were found near ancient lava flows.1

The knife-shaped teeth found near its skeleton actually belonged to a meat-eating theropod, not to Vulcanodon itself.1

Vulcanodon lived in a desert-like environment, which shows that early sauropods did not need to live in swamps.1

Its thighbone was about 110 centimetres (43 inches) long.1

Vulcanodon was fully four-legged, but its limb proportions were in between those of earlier two-legged relatives and later sauropods.1