The Barosaurus- Amazing Dino With Long Neck

Dinosaurs have always been captivating creatures that have fascinated people of all ages. These ancient animals roamed the Earth for millions of years before becoming extinct 65 million years ago.

One dinosaur that stood out during the Late Jurassic period was the Barosaurus, known for its neck which made it an extraordinary and impressive sight to behold. In this blog post, we will explore all the details, about this dinosaur and its fascinating physical characteristics.

Barosaurus–Towering Giant of the Jurassic

The Barosaurus was a dinosaur that you couldn’t miss. Grown Barosaurus was estimated to be around 92 feet in length and weigh up to 25 tons. The remarkable feature of this dinosaur was undoubtedly its neck, which measured around 30 feet long.. How did this dinosaur manage to support such a neck? The answer lies in its structure. It had sturdy bones reducing overall weight while still providing the necessary support, for its extraordinarily long neck.

Body Measure and Size

Another intriguing aspect of the Barosaurus was its head compared to its large body size. This small head would have housed teeth used for stripping leaves off trees and plants. Despite being a creature it is believed that this particular dinosaur primarily fed on plants the vegetation that thrived in its habitat.

Dominating the Late Jurassic Landscape

The Barosaurus is thought to have inhabited regions and wooded areas of North America during the Late Jurassic period 154 152 million years ago. It coexisted alongside plant-eating dinosaurs, like Stegosaurus, Apatosaurus, and Allosaurus. Due to its size, it likely faced natural predators. However its eggs and young may have been susceptible to attacks from carnivores.

Difficulties With Its Body

Although the Barosaurus ranked among the dinosaurs to roam our planet it was not without its challenges. One of its obstacles was maneuvering its body. It probably had a deliberate pace making it prone to getting stuck in shallow water due to its sheer size. Moreover, its long neck would have hindered turning and navigating through spaces.

Discovery of The Fossil

The history of Barosaurus dates back to 1890 when Othniel Charles Marsh discovered and named this species. While the initial fossil findings were made in North America Morrison Formation, in Wyoming remains of Barosaurus bones have been unearthed at sites worldwide.

Although the fossils discovered far are not complete scientists speculate that these gigantic creatures could have weighed 45 tonnes and were probably plant eaters.

The Mystery Its Gigantic Neck

Initially, it was challenging to find the remains of this dinosaur because the neck bones were missing from the jaw, forelimbs, and most of the backbone. However, in 1919 new fossils were unearthed in Quarry 5 of Dinosaur National Monument. These discoveries included three neck vertebrae and other bones that helped identify this dinosaur. The neck vertebrae found were actually the longest ever recorded measuring 102 inches!

Neck Vertebrae

One distinguishing feature of Barosaurus is its neck consisting of 15 vertebrae. This sets it apart, from Diplodocus specimens that typically had ten neck vertebrae. Barosaurus also had a whip tail which served as a defense mechanism against predators. Given its size, it needed to consume quantities of vegetation to support its body weight. Interestingly unlike Sauropods Barosaurus had a small skull with nostrils located on top.

Furthermore, there is a hypothesis suggesting that Barosaurus possessed adaptations allowing for oxygen supply despite its massive size. This hypothesis stems from analyzing the structures of Barosaurus which indicate lung capacity than that of modern birds and effective breathing even, at higher elevations.

Size and weight

Barosaurus, a dinosaur species that once roamed the earth held the title of one of the creatures known to us. Stretching up to a 26 meters, in length and weighing around 25 tons it was truly a beast. What is more fascinating is its neck, which could reach a length of 13 meters – longer than any other creature that has ever graced our planet. Additionally, this remarkable dinosaur boasted vertebrae in its neck a trait found exclusively in this species.

Habitat

During the Jurassic period, Barosaurus called the regions of North America its home. Fossil remains have been discovered primarily within the Morrison Formation in areas such as Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah. Given its size, it is believed that Barosaurus thrived in habitats adorned with towering trees capable of supporting its weight.

Defensive mechanism

One captivating aspect of Barosaurus lies within its tail – a defense mechanism against predators. Measuring up to 11 meters long the tail culminated with a club structure weighing as much as 150 kilograms. When faced with threats from adversaries Barosaurus would swing its tail forcefully at them – inflicting harm or even causing death.

Vulnerable offspring

Similar, to reptiles female Barosaurus laid their eggs on the ground. However, what sets them apart is that their offspring were born vulnerable and relied heavily on their parent’s care and protection, unlike other dinosaurs.

Barosaurus parents were believed to have taken care of their young for around ten years making them one of the rare dinosaur species that lived in groups, with their offspring.

Feeding habits

Barosaurus was a herbivore and had to consume a lot of vegetation to maintain its massive size. Given its 13-meter-long neck, they would reach high up into the trees, where it could reach the leaves and shoots that made up its diet. It is estimated that this dinosaur consumed approximately 400 kilograms of food in a day.

Conclusion

It seems that Barosaurus was an awe-inspiring species that had all the right moves and qualities. From its herculean size to its imposing appearance and impressive lengths to survive foes, this was a true powerhouse of the dinosaur world. Any fossil enthusiast would be enthralled to have a chance to come across a rare Barosaurus bone or skeleton display—it truly did justice to the Jurassic Period as one of the towering kings of its day.

We may never know exactly why it went extinct, but one thing is for sure—Barosaurus will always remain in our memory as an icon of power and grandeur, and hopefully, many more can learn about it before its legacy fades away!

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