| Dicraeosaurus Fossil range: Late Jurassic, 155–150 Ma |
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| Dicraeosaurus skeleton | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Superorder: | Dinosauria |
| Order: | Saurischia |
| Suborder: | Sauropodomorpha |
| Family: | Dicraeosauridae |
| Genus: | Dicraeosaurus Janensch, 1914 |
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Dicraeosaurus (Gr. dikraios "bifurcated, double-headed" + Gr. sauros "lizard") is a genus of small diplodocoid sauropod dinosaur. It was named for the spines on the back of the neck. The first fossil was described by paleontologist Werner Janensch in 1914.
Unlike most diplodocoids, Dicraeosaurus had a large head with a relatively short and wide neck. It also lacked the whiplash tail that other diplodocids had. It was smaller, at only reached 41 feet (12 m) in length. It gets its name, which means two-forked lizard, from the spines that came from the vertebrae. They were not straight as in some members of the family. Each one was “Y” shaped, like a fork. These spines also provided muscle attachment points.[1]
Dicraeosaurus lived in the Late Jurassic. It was herbivorous; however, it didn’t compete with other dinosaurs for vegetation. Fossils have been discovered in the rocks of Tendaguru Hill in Tanzania. The rocks also yield fossils of Brachiosaurus and Kentrosaurus. As these were much larger animals, they would probably have browsed different levels of the local vegetation, allowing them to co-exist without significant competition.[1]
 Artist's reconstruction of Dicraeosaurus |
 Dicraeosaurus skeleton |
 Head reconstruction |
 Pair of D. hansemanni |
References
- ^ a b Palmer, D., ed (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 132. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
External links
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