Brachiosaurus Facts: Extinct Animals of the World

Brachiosaurus is one of the most ancient animals. It is among dinosaurs such as Apatosaurus and Diplodocus. The Brachiosaurus lived about 156 million years ago in a period known as the Jurassic Period. The name "Brachiosaurus" can be translated as “arm lizards.” Brachiosaurus weighed as much as four elephants and were found in North America and Africa. Facts about the dinosaur are both fascinating and mysterious. However, these facts make it easier for one to have a picture of these animals.

They could live for 100 years

Brachiosaurus had a lifespan of about 100 years. It is believed that the reason for this was its relatively slow movement and big size. From head to tail, Brachiosaurus had a length of up to 85 feet. Besides their size and movement, healthy adults could live for a long time because of their immunity to predators.

Their front limbs were longer than hind limbs

The front limbs being longer than hind limbs gave the Brachiosaurus a posture that resembles that of the giraffe. Also, they were able to reach the top of tall trees without suffering from strain. It is believed they could occasionally rear up on its hind limbs to reach higher levels.

Their first specimens were discovered in 1900

The Field Museum of Natural History discovered the first specimen of the Brachiosaurus in the western parts of Colorado in 1900. It was an almost complete skeleton of the animal. Elmer Riggs is responsible for having given the animal the name “Brachiosaurus.” Researchers later discovered that a Brachiosaurus skull had been found earlier. However, it had been mistakenly categorized as that of an Apatosaurus.

Their skulls were loosely attached to the neck

The skulls of the Brachiosaurus had tiny brains in them and were weakly attached to the trunk skeleton. The weak attachment made it easy for scientists to disassemble the head from the rest of the body. It is also an indication that predators could easily separate the head from the trunk.

It might be the same organism that was named Giraffatitan

Facts about Giraffatitan show that they resembled Brachiosaurus in all aspects except for the fact that its neck was long and they lived in Northern Africa. The scientific name for Giraffatitan reveals that it has a genus which is different from that of the Brachiosaurus. As such, scientists are unsure of whether to classify them together with Brachiosaurus or not.

It was believed that they were semiaquatic

Initially, investigators concluded that the massive weight of these organisms could only be supported by them walking along the bottom of large water bodies. Consequently, they would thrust their heads on the water surface to eat and breathe. But many researchers critiqued this theory because if it were true, then the animals would have been suffocated.

It is among the most famous movie dinosaurs

Animations, movies, documentaries, and models have been developed with Brachiosaurus in them. Understanding how they move, eat and interact has been easily demonstrated by these media. An example of such media is the Star Wars: A New Hope.