Brachiosaur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids BrachiosaursTemporal range: Upper Jurassic – Lower Cretaceous
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| Mounted skeleton of Giraffatitan in Berlin. | |
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Brachiosauridae
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Brachiosaurs were a group of huge, plant-eating dinosaurs. They belong to a family called Brachiosauridae. These amazing creatures walked on four legs, but their front legs were longer than their back legs. This unique body shape makes it a bit tricky for scientists to decide exactly which dinosaurs belong in this family.
One of the most famous brachiosaurs is the Giraffatitan brancai. Its skeleton, found in Berlin, Germany, is the largest mounted dinosaur skeleton in the world! It used to be known as Brachiosaurus brancai.
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About Brachiosaurs
Brachiosaurs first appeared about 174 million years ago. This was during the Middle Jurassic period. They lived for a very long time, about 60 million years in total. They finally died out at the end of the Lower Cretaceous period.
The earliest known brachiosaur might be Lapparentosaurus. Its fossils were found in Africa. One of the last brachiosaurs was the giant Sauroposeidon from North America. It lived just before the end of the Early Cretaceous period.
What Does "Brachiosaur" Mean?
The name "brachiosaur" means "arm lizard." This might sound a bit strange for a four-legged animal! However, the family Brachiosauridae got this name because these dinosaurs had very long "arms," which were actually their front legs. These front legs were much longer than their back legs.
Brachiosaurs in Movies and More
Brachiosaurs have appeared in many movies and books. The most famous one is Brachiosaurus.
- Brachiosaurus was featured in the 1993 film Jurassic Park.
- It also appeared in the 2000 Disney film Dinosaur.
- The brachiosaur Astrodon is the official state dinosaur of Maryland.
- In the novel Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker, Astrodon was shown as prey for the Utahraptor.
Images for kids
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Typical brachiosaurid teeth, like those of Vouivria
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A Brachiosaurus humerus bone (upper arm bone)
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The impressive Giraffatitan skeleton from the Tendaguru Formation
See also
In Spanish: Braquiosáuridos para niños
