Category: Dinosaur
Brachiosaurus altithorax, Arm Lizard, lived in the Late Jurassic, Kimmeridgian – Tithonian, of North America where it was a rare member of a fauna dominated by the sauropods Camarasaurus, Diplodocus and Apatosaurus. Other brachiosaurs have been identified in Africa and Europe. Branchiosaurus brancai (= Giraffatitan) from Tendengaru East Africa was more common living in a forested coastal environment. Most reconstructions have been based on this African brachiosaur.
Brachiosaurus
Brachiosaurus (our original figure)
Classification: Sauropoda, Macronaraia, Brachiosauridae.
Species: B. altithorax, B. brancai, B. nougaredi.
Senior synonyms: Ultrasaurus, Dystylosaurus
Brachiosaurus the eyes and nostrils were set high up on the dome on its head, and the skull had many holes to lighten its weight. The forelegs are longer than the back legs unlike other sauropods. The high shoulders support a high feeding behavior. The teeth are robust allowing the mouth to process rough foliage.
Like most sauropods it probably traveled in herds. Brachiosaurus was able to feed higher in the canopy than other sauropods. Like other sauropods they would lay large number of eggs with little parental care. The juveniles would have grown fast and may have traveled in age groups for protection. Adults are very large and healthy individuals had no natural enemies
Discovered in 1903, in Alberta Canada by Riggs and known form partial skeletons.
