Cedarosaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cedarosaurus |
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Cedarosaurus
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weiskopfae
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Cedarosaurus (say: SEE-duh-roh-SAWR-us) was a type of dinosaur that lived a long, long time ago. It was a giant plant-eater, known as a sauropod. This dinosaur roamed the Earth during the Lower Cretaceous period. That was about 126 million years ago!
Cedarosaurus got its name from the Cedar Mountain Formation in eastern Utah, USA. This is where its bones were first discovered. It was a type of brachiosaurid sauropod. This means it had a very long neck, like a giraffe, to reach high up into the trees. It probably munched on leaves and branches from the very tops of ancient forests.
Discovering Cedarosaurus
The first skeleton of Cedarosaurus was found in the late 1990s. A team of paleontologists from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science made the exciting discovery. They were exploring the Cedar Mountains in Utah.
When the scientists found the bones, some parts were missing. The skeleton did not have its head or its long neck. Even without all its parts, this discovery helped us learn a lot about these amazing ancient creatures.
What Was Cedarosaurus Like?
Cedarosaurus was a herbivore, meaning it ate only plants. Like other sauropods, it would have been very large. We don't know its exact size, but sauropods were some of the biggest animals to ever walk on Earth. Imagine a dinosaur as tall as a four-story building!
This dinosaur was an important part of its ancient ecosystem. It helped shape the plant life by eating a lot of vegetation. Its long neck allowed it to reach food that other dinosaurs couldn't.
Images for kids
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Cedarosaurus with two of the authors (Bill Brooks, Virginia Tidwell) who named and described the specimen.
See also
In Spanish: Cedarosaurus weiskopfae para niños
