Diplodocid facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Diplodocids Temporal range: Middle Jurassic-Early Cretaceous, 170–136.4Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Diplodocus carnegii skeleton cast, Berlin Hauptbahnhof
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	Saurischia
Suborder:	†Sauropodomorpha
Clade:	†Sauropoda
Clade:	†Flagellicaudata
Family:	†Diplodocidae Marsh, 1884
Type species
†Diplodocus longus Marsh, 1878
Subgroups
†Amphicoelias †Apatosaurinae †Apatosaurus †Atlantosaurus †Brontosaurus †Diplodocinae †Barosaurus †Dinheirosaurus †Diplodocus †Galeamopus †Kaatedocus †Leinkupal †Supersaurus †Tornieria
Synonyms
Atlantosauridae? Marsh, 1877 Amphicoeliidae? Cope, 1878 Apatosauridae Huene, 1927

Diplodocids are a group of very long-necked, plant-eating dinosaurs. They are famous for being some of the longest animals to ever live on Earth. These amazing creatures walked the planet during the Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous periods. This means they lived about 170 to 136 million years ago! Famous diplodocids include Diplodocus and Supersaurus.

Diplodocids: Giant Long-Necked Dinosaurs

Diplodocids belong to a larger group of dinosaurs called sauropods. Sauropods are known for their incredibly long necks and tails, and their huge bodies. The family name "Diplodocidae" means "double beams." This refers to special bones found in their tails. These bones helped support their long, heavy tails.

Some diplodocids, like Supersaurus, could grow up to 34 meters (about 112 feet) long! That's longer than three school buses lined up end-to-end. They were truly gigantic creatures.

How Did Diplodocids Eat?

Diplodocids were herbivores, meaning they only ate plants. They had unique, peg-like teeth. These teeth were perfect for stripping leaves from branches. They didn't chew their food much. Instead, they swallowed leaves whole.

To help digest their food, diplodocids swallowed gastroliths. These were small stones that stayed in their stomachs. The stones helped grind up the tough plant material. Tiny bacteria in their large stomachs also helped break down the plant fibers. This process allowed the dinosaurs to get all the nutrients from the leaves.

Types of Diplodocids

The diplodocid family is divided into two main groups, or sub-families:

• Diplodocinae: This group includes Diplodocus and other dinosaurs that were generally long and slender. They had very long necks and tails.
• Apatosaurinae: This group includes Apatosaurus and other types that were typically more stocky and heavily built. Brontosaurus is also part of this group.

Diplodocid Family Tree

Diplodocids had cousins like the brachiosaurs. Brachiosaurs were another group of large sauropods. They are put into a separate, but related, family. Much later, the titanosaurs appeared. Titanosaurs were the last major group of sauropods on Earth before the dinosaurs went extinct.

Images for kids

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  Diplodocus, depicted with spines limited to the mid-line of the back

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  Seismosaurus (=Diplodocus)

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  Skin impression of a diplodocid, specimen CMC VP 10659

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  Holotype specimens of Diplodocus carnegii and Apatosaurus louisae at Carnegie Museum of Natural History

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  Cast skeleton of Brontosaurus parvus based on the University of Wyoming specimen produced by Triebold Paleontology Incorporated

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  Diplodocid heads have historically been restored in various ways: a) skull, b) classic rendering of the head with nostrils on top, c) with speculative trunk, d) modern depiction with nostrils low on the snout and a possible resonating chamber

See also

In Spanish: Diplodócidos para niños