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Sauropod Dinosaurs
The Sauropoda (meaning "lizard-footed") dinosaurs
were a infraorder of the the
Saurischian.
Together with the infraorder
Prosauropods,
they form the Sauropodomorpha) suborder of
Saurischia.
Dinosaurs in the Sauropod infrarder include, among others,
Apatosaurus
(also known as "Brontosaurus"),
Brachiosaurus, and
Diplodocus.
Sauropods first appeared during the later part of
Triassic period,
and at that time resembled their sister infraorder, the
Prosauropods.
By the late
Jurassic period,
Sauropods had become extremely widespread, and they survived until
the end of the
Cretaceous period,
about 65 million years ago.
Of course during all this time, no single species survived - instead a succession
of different Sauropod lineages appeared at different times.
At the end of
Cretaceous,
the Sauropods finally became
extinct,
along with all the other non-avian dinosaurs.
Sauropod dinosaurs were herbivorous (plant-eating). They were quadrupedal
(walking on four legs), and they had thick pillar-like legs with five
toes, although only three toes had claws.
They had
long necks and small heads and usually had long tails..
Additionally, some Sauropods had armor such
bony osteoderms
(found for example in
Ampelosaurus
and
Saltasaurus),
clubs in their tails
(for example in Shunosaurus),
or spined-backs (for example in Augustinia).
Sauropods are of course well-known for being large animals.
Even the smallest dwarf species of Sauropod were 20 feet (6 meters) long,
and the largest Sauropods were at least 130 feet (40 meters) long.
There is evidence that there may have been some species that
grew to 180 to 200 feet (55 to 60 meters)
in length.
Why Sauropods evolved to become so large remains a matter of debate.
Clearly there was some evolutionary advantage to being such huge
sizes, but we can not entirely sure what it is.
Some hypotheses that have been proposed include
the relative immunity from predators that large size conveys,
longer life spans,
greater energy efficiency,
or simply the fact that large-size allows
herbivores to digest food more effectively.
There is a good evidence (for example
fossilized
trackways) that many species of Sauropods lived in herds. It is thought
that many herds were separated by age, as juvenile animals appear to
have eaten a different
diet from adults.
Sauropods first appeared during the early Jurassic period, and survived until the end of the Cretaceous period, about 65 million years ago
Types of Sauropod Dinosaur
Here is a list of some Sauropod dinosaurs:
Related Information & Resources
See Also
Sauropod Books
Here are some books from Amazon.com:
Disclosure: Products details and descriptions provided by Amazon.com. Our company may receive a payment if you purchase products from them after following a link from this website.
By Rubén Molina-Pérez
Princeton University Press
Released: September 29th, 2020
Hardcover (272 pages)
 | List Price: $35.00*
Lowest New Price: $25.49*
In Stock*
*(As of 20:59 Pacific 16 Jan 2025 More Info)
Click Here | Description:
Dinosaur Facts and Figures: The Sauropods and Other Sauropodomorphs- Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
- Brand: Princeton University Press
- ISBN: 0691190690
- EAN: 9780691190693
- PartNumber: 9780691190693
Details:- Hardcover
- Format: Illustrated
- Edition: Illustrated
- Number of Pages: 272
- Authors: Rubén Molina-Pérez, Asier Larramendi
- Publication Date: September 29th, 2020
- Release Date: September 29th, 2020
Physical Description:- Size: 12.0 inches by 9.8 inches by 1.1 inches
- Weight: 3.69935675636 pounds
Click here for more information |
|
By Mark Hallett
Johns Hopkins University Press
Released: November 1st, 2016
Hardcover (336 pages)
 | List Price: $39.95*
Lowest New Price: $29.98*
In Stock*
*(As of 20:59 Pacific 16 Jan 2025 More Info)
Click Here | Description:
The Sauropod Dinosaurs: Life in the Age of Giants- Manufacturer: Johns Hopkins University Press
- Brand: Johns Hopkins University Press
- ISBN: 1421420287
- EAN: 9781421420288
- PartNumber: 44941191
Details:- Hardcover
- Number of Pages: 336
- Authors: Mark Hallett, Mathew J. Wedel
- Publication Date: November 1st, 2016
- Release Date: November 1st, 2016
Physical Description:- Size: 11.0 inches by 9.0 inches by 0.95 inches
- Weight: 3.4392112872 pounds
Click here for more information |
|
By Brant E Isakson
Academic Press
Released: November 19th, 2024
Paperback (160 pages)
 | List Price: $125.00*
Lowest New Price: $83.85*
Usually ships within 5 to 6 days*
*(As of 20:59 Pacific 16 Jan 2025 More Info)
Click Here | Description:
Balancing a Sauropod: The Physiology of a Dinosaur- Manufacturer: Academic Press
- ISBN: 0128233036
- EAN: 9780128233030
- PartNumber: 9780128233030
Details:- Paperback
- Edition: 1
- Number of Pages: 160
- Author: Brant E Isakson
- Publication Date: November 19th, 2024
- Release Date: November 19th, 2024
Physical Description:- Size: 9.0 inches by 6.0 inches by 0.5 inches
- Weight: 0.440924524 Pounds
Click here for more information |
|
By Tom Evans
World Book, Inc.
Released: July 1st, 2013
Hardcover (48 pages)
 | List Price: $19.95*
Lowest Used Price: $6.26*
In stock Usually ships within 3 to 4 days.*
*(As of 20:59 Pacific 16 Jan 2025 More Info)
Click Here | Description:
Giant Dinosaurs! The Sauropods- Manufacturer: World Book, Inc.
- ISBN: 0716603705
- EAN: 9780716603702
Details:- Hardcover
- Number of Pages: 48
- Author: Tom Evans
- Publication Date: July 1st, 2013
- Release Date: July 1st, 2013
Physical Description:Click here for more information |
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