Apatosaurus vs Diplodocus

A detailed side-by-side comparison of Apatosaurus and Diplodocus, covering size, diet, classification, geologic period, and discovery history.

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Side-by-Side Comparison

الخاصية Apatosaurus Diplodocus
الاسم العلمي Apatosaurus ajax Diplodocus longus
التصنيف Sauropoda Sauropoda
الحقبة Jurassic Late Jurassic Late
النظام الغذائي Herbivore Herbivore
الطول 22.0 m 25.0 m
Height 4.5 m 5.0 m
الوزن 22.7 t 14.0 t
سنة الاكتشاف 1877 1878
موقع الاكتشاف Morrison Formation, Colorado, USA Canon City, Colorado, USA
سُمي بواسطة Othniel Charles Marsh Othniel Charles Marsh
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Size Comparison

Apatosaurus 22.0 m

about as long as 4 cars end-to-end

Diplodocus 25.0 m

about as long as 5 cars end-to-end

Weight Comparison

Apatosaurus 22.7 t

about the weight of 3.8 elephants

Diplodocus 14.0 t

about the weight of 2.3 elephants

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Timeline Comparison

Apatosaurus
161,5 Mya Jurassic Late (Mesozoic) 145,0 Mya
Diplodocus
161,5 Mya Jurassic Late (Mesozoic) 145,0 Mya

Apatosaurus and Diplodocus both lived during the Jurassic Late period and may have shared the same habitats.

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Diet Comparison

Apatosaurus

Herbivore

Apatosaurus was a plant-eater, feeding on vegetation like ferns, conifers, and cycads.

Diplodocus

Herbivore

Diplodocus was a plant-eater, feeding on vegetation like ferns, conifers, and cycads.

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Classification Comparison

Apatosaurus

Clade: Sauropodomorpha

Group: Sauropoda

(Lizard feet)

Diplodocus

Clade: Sauropodomorpha

Group: Sauropoda

(Lizard feet)

Both dinosaurs share a common ancestor within the Sauropoda clade.

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الاختلافات الرئيسية

  • Apatosaurus (22 m, ~22,700 kg) was shorter but significantly heavier than Diplodocus (25 m, ~14,000 kg).
  • Both lived in the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation and were likely contemporaries.
  • Apatosaurus had a more robust, barrel-like body; Diplodocus had a more slender, elongated build.
  • Apatosaurus was formerly (and incorrectly) synonymized with Brontosaurus — Brontosaurus is now considered a separate valid genus.
  • Both had long, whip-like tails that may have been used for defense or acoustic signaling.
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Did You Know?

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Both Apatosaurus and Diplodocus were herbivores.

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Both dinosaurs lived during the Jurassic Late period and may have coexisted.

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Apatosaurus was discovered 1 years earlier, in 1877.

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Both belong to the Sauropoda clade, making them relatively close relatives.

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Compare With Other Dinosaurs

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