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Table of Contents
The brachiosaurus was a dinosaur that lived about 155.7 million to 150.8 million years ago during the mid-to-late Jurassic Period. Specimens have been found in the Morrison Formation in North America.
See the fact file below for more information on the brachiosaurus or alternatively, you can download our 25-page Brachiosaurus worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
THE JURASSIC PERIOD
- The Jurassic Period occurred from 199.6 to 145.5 million years ago.
- Also known as the age of the dinosaurs, reptiles were the dominant animal life forms during the Jurassic Period.
- Sauropods, or the lizard-hipped dinosaurs, were extremely large and herbivorous quadrupeds with long necks that were balanced by heavy tails.
- Among the well-known dinosaurs were the Stegosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex (T-Rex), Brachiosaurus, and the flying Pterosaurs.
- During this period, dinosaurs obtained lengths greater than 100 feet and weighed over 100 tons, making them the largest land animals to walk the earth.
- Early mammals were also evidenced to have lived during this time.
- Marine life also flourished with dinosaurs, such as the largest marine carnivore, the Plesiosaurs.
- However, the dinosaurs experienced minor mass extinction toward the end of the Jurassic Period.
- During this extinction, most of the stegosauruses and enormous sauropod dinosaurs died out, as did many genera of ammonoids, marine reptiles, and bivalves. No one knows what caused this extinction.
DISCOVERY
- The name Brachiosaurus means “arm lizard” However, some scientists believe it was a warm-blooded animal (gigantotherms β animals whose enormous size allowed them to keep high body temperatures.)
- At the time of its discovery in 1903 by American paleontologist Elmer S. Riggs, the Brachiosaurus was declared the largest dinosaur ever.
- However, other sauropods are now believed to have been bigger and heavier than the Brachiosaurus.
- The first set of fossils was found in the Colorado River valley in western Colorado, United States. Riggs then named the dinosaur Brachiosaurus altithorax.
- Only 20% of the Brachiosaurus was excavated. Thus, in 1993, the holotype bones were molded and cast, and the missing bones were sculpted based on material of the related Brachiosaurus brancai in Museum fΓΌr Naturkunde, Berlin.
- This plastic skeleton was then mounted and put on display at the main exhibit hall of the Field Museum’s current building the following year.
- Other fossils were soon excavated and studied in Germany and East Africa between 1909 and 1912, in Portugal in 1942, and in the Sahara Desert of eastern Algeria in 1958.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
- The Brachiosaurus is estimated to have had a height between 18 and 21 meters (59 and 69 ft) with a length of 20β21 meters (66β69 ft). Its weight varies from 28.3 to 58 metric tons (62,390 to 127,867 lbs).
- Based on fossils of other related sauropods, the Brachiosaurus was a quadruped with a small skull (81 centimeters or 32 inches long); a long neck; a large trunk with a high-ellipsoid cross section; a long, muscular tail; and slender, columnar limbs.
- Since the Brachiosaurus was too massive to support its own weight on dry land, it was believed in the 19th and early 20th centuries that sauropods lived partly submerged in water.
- However, a stiff torso incapable of bending sideways, slender limbs, a high chest, wide hips, high ilia, and a short tail would only be fit for quadrupedal movement on land.
- The dinosaur’s skull that was excavated had a wide muzzle and thick jawbones that housed spoon-shaped teeth, which were believed to be perfectly suited for stripping vegetation.
- The Brachiosaurus probably fed mostly on foliage above five meters (16 feet) high, which include ginkgos, conifers, tree ferns, and large cycads. Its daily intake is estimated at 200 to 400 kilograms (440 to 880 lb).
- The Brachiosaurus may have travelled in herds, moving on after they consumed the vegetation in a particular area.
- When the food supply dwindled, it is likely that they supplemented their diets with vegetation at lower levels (“low browsing”).
- In 2012, a postcranial skeleton of a young juvenile with an estimated total body length of just 2 meters (6.6 ft) was reconstructed by Carballido and colleagues.
- Based on their research and studies, sauropods like the Brachiosaurus were likely able to sexually reproduce before they attained their maximum individual size.
- Its bone structure indicates that the maturation rate (reproduction) of the Brachiosaurus was when it reached 40% of its maximum size.
POPULAR MEDIA
- The Brachiosaurus is just one of the most popular dinosaurs. It was even featured in the blockbuster films Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park 3, and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
- It also appeared in some documentaries. A few are seen in the documentary series, Walking with Dinosaurs: Episode 2 Time of the Titans and Allosaurus: a Walking with Dinosaurs Special.
- Some are also seen in a couple of Ice Age films, Disneyβs Dinosaur, and in some of The Land Before Time movies.
- Today, Brachiosaurus products are as popular as Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops products, with a large line of toys and other collectibles.
Brachiosaurus Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the brachiosaurus across 25 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Brachiosaurus worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the brachiosaurus which was a dinosaur that lived about 155.7 million to 150.8 million years ago during the mid-to-late Jurassic Period. Specimens have been found in the Morrison Formation in North America.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Brachiosaurus Facts
- Dino Fun Facts
- Word-Saurus
- The Finder
- Brachio Data
- Time of the Brachio
- Dinoland
- The End of Age
- Brachio-Puzzle
- Find the Way Out
- Brachi-Origami
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Link will appear as Brachiosaurus Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, July 1, 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.