Supersaurus
Supersaurus was a sauropod dinosaur, a relative of Diplodocus. It was found in the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of Colorado in 1972.[1]
| Supersaurus Temporal range: Upper Jurassic 153 mya
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| File:Supersaurus moal.jpg | |
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| Genus: | Supersaurus
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| Supersaurus vivianae | |
In most respects, Supersaurus is similar in to Apatosaurus, but it is less robustly built. It has elongated cervical vertebrae, resulting in one of the longest known sauropod necks.[2] It was up to 33 to 34 meters (108 to 112 ft) in length, and a weight of 35 to 40 tons.[3]
A new and much more complete specimen of Supersaurus, nicknamed 'Jimbo', WDC DMJ-021, was found in Converse County, Wyoming in 1996. It is currently being prepared and was described in 2007. Its bones are held at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center.
Supersaurus Media
- James A. Jensen.jpg
James A. Jensen with the reconstructed front leg of Ultrasauros
- Supersaurus vivianae dorsal vertebra.JPG
Dorsal vertebra BYU 9044, the holotype of Ultrasauros, now assigned to Supersaurus Museum of Ancient Life
- Dystylosaurus BYU 4503.jpg
Holotype vertebrae of Dystylosaurus, junior synonym of Supersaurus
- Longest dinosaurs2.svg
Diagram showing the size of Supersaurus (orange) compared with selected giant sauropods
- Supersaurus dinosaur.png
Life restoration of Supersaurus based primarily on Wyoming Dinosaur Center's more complete "Jimbo"
- Jimbo Supersaurus.jpg
A reconstruction of WDC DMJ-021, nicknamed "Jimbo", Wyoming Dinosaur Center
- Supersaurus pelvis Museum of Ancient Life 3.jpg
Pelvis of Supersaurus (original), on display at the Museum of Ancient Life, Utah. Specimen discovered in Dry Mesa Quarry, Colorado, in 1988.
- Jimbo Caudals.jpg
Caudal vertebrae and chevrons
References
- ↑ Foster J. 2007. Appendix, in Jurassic West: the dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation and their world. Indiana University Press, 327-329.
- ↑ Amphicoelias was longer.
- ↑ Lovelace, David M; Hartman, Scott A. & Wahl, William R. 2007. Morphology of a specimen of Supersaurus (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the Morrison Formation of Wyoming, and a re-evaluation of diplodocid phylogeny. Arquivos do Museu Nacional 65 (4): 527–544.