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Apatosaurus Facts & Worksheets

The Apatosaurus (which means “deceptive lizard”) was a herbivorous sauropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the late Jurassic period.

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The Apatosaurus (which means “deceptive lizard”) was a herbivorous sauropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the late Jurassic period. The first fossils of the Apatosaurus were discovered by Edward Drinker Cope in 1877, and they were named by Othniel C. Marsh the same year.

See the fact file below for more information on the Apatosaurus or alternatively, you can download our 24-page Apatosaurus worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

HISTORY AND ETYMOLOGY

  • The Apatosaurus lived between 156 and 151 million years ago, during the late Jurassic Period.
  • It lived throughout North America and Europe and was considered to be one of the largest land animals of all time.
  • The Apatosaurus had a long body with four thick, large legs that resembled pillars. It also had a long neck and tail. It measured about 75 feet long and weighed roughly 45 tons!
  • The term “Apatosaurus” comes from the Greek word “apate”, which means “deceptive”, and “sauro”, which means “lizard”.

LIFE OF AN APATOSAURUS

  • Diet
    • Ate a herbivorous diet consisting of plants, conifers, tree leaves, mosses, and ferns
    • Spent a lot of time grazing during the day
    • Had thick lips and blunt teeth like a rake
    • Swallowed their food whole without much chewing
  • Eggs
    • Hatched from an egg
    • Eggs were up to 1 foot wide and were usually laid while the animal was walking
  • Behavior and Lifespan
    • Lifespans may have lasted 100 years
    • Probably lived a solitary life, although they traveled in herds
    • Spent most of its time on land away from large bodies of water or swamps
  • Characteristics
    • Long necks and long, whip-like tails
    • Moved very slowly
    • Hind legs were larger than their front legs
    • Had a tiny brain
    • Nostrils were located on the top of their heads, but scientists aren’t sure why!
    • Extremely large and heavy
    • Had stomach stones in its stomach to help digest tough plant material

NAME AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE APATOSAURUS

  • The Apatosaurus was first described by O.C. Marsh in 1877. Two years later, he described the Brontosaurus.
  • Another paleontologist named Elmer Riggs said that the differences between the Apatosaurus and the Brontosaurus was related to growth, and he deemed the Apatosaurus to be a young Brontosaurus in 1903.
  • He said that the fossils Marsh found of the two species were similar enough to belong to the same genus.
  • However, due to the popularity the name “Brontosaurus” was getting, most people refer to both the Brontosaurus and Apatosaurus as simply “Brontosaurus”.
  • In 2015, a study argued that there are enough differences between the Apatosaurus and the Brontosaurus that one of them should be in a different genus group.
  • In popular culture, the term “Brontosaurus” is usually used when referring to any of the sauropod dinosaurs, despite there being many differences between them.

FUN FACTS ABOUT THE APATOSAURUS

  • Scientists figure that when the Apatosaurus swung its tail, the whip-cracking sound it made was equivalent to the sound that a cannon would make (about 200 decibels!).
  • Scientists are still not sure how the Apatosaurus was able to breathe,
  • due to its large body mass and long neck. Some think that it either had multiple air sacs or a breathing system unknown to modern science.
  • The U.S Post Office issued a Brontosaurus stamp in 1989 as part of their four “dinosaur” stamps, but it was met with criticism for using the term “Brontosaurus” because it had been recognized as an invalid taxon (scientific grouping).
  • The tail of the Apatosaurus was probably used to whip other dinosaurs away and to deter predators.
  • The most significant Apatosaurus fossils have been found in Wyoming, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Utah in the United States.
  • Researchers calculated that the Apatosaurus and other sauropods produced over 500 million tons of methane per year, which might have helped keep the earth warm!

Apatosaurus Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Apatosaurus across 24 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Apatosaurus worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Apatosaurus (which means “deceptive lizard”) which was a herbivorous sauropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the late Jurassic period. The first fossils of the Apatosaurus were discovered by Edward Drinker Cope in 1877, and they were named by Othniel C. Marsh the same year.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Apatosaurus Facts
  • Pretty Cool Paleontologist
  • Dinosaur Comparison
  • Apatosaurus Photo Album
  • Dino Dictionary
  • Neck, Tail, and Movement
  • Diagram Labeling
  • Apatosaurus Wordsearch
  • Test Your Knowledge
  • Ancient Timeline
  • Apatosaurus Crossword

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Link will appear as Apatosaurus Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, October 30, 2020

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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