Dicraeosaurus
Dicraeosaurus Media
Restoration of D. hansemanni
Size comparison of Dicraeosauridae. D. hansemanni in brown, D. sattleri in red.
Dicreosaurus
| Dicraeosaurus Temporal range: Upper Jurassic
155–150 mya | |
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| Dicraeosaurus skeleton | |
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| Genus: | Dicraeosaurus
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Dicraeosaurus was a small sauropod that had some physical differences from the rest of the family. The first fossil of Dicraeosaurus was discovered in 1914.
It was named for the spines on the back of the neck. In general, sauropods had long necks and tails, skinny bodies and limbs, and tiny brains and heads. They were light in comparison with the brachiosaurs. Their vertebrae were a lattice of bony struts, used to reduce weight and take maximum stress. The family Dicraeosauridae had shorter tails, larger heads and longer neural spines along their neck and back.
Fossils of Dicraeosaurus have been found in the rocks of Tendaguru Hill in Tanzania. The rocks also yield fossils of Giraffatitan and Kentrosaurus. The difference in size between these animals suggests they would have browsed for vegetation at different levels. This allowed them to co-exist without significant competition.