Apatosaurus vs Brachiosaurus

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

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Property Apatosaurus Brachiosaurus
Scientific Name Apatosaurus ajax Brachiosaurus altithorax
Classification Sauropoda Sauropoda
Period Jurassic Late Jurassic Late
Diet Herbivore Herbivore
Length 22.0 m 26.0 m
Height 4.5 m 13.0 m
Weight 22.7 t 56.0 t
Discovery Year 1877 1903
Discovery Location Morrison Formation, Colorado, USA Grand River Valley, Colorado, USA
Named By Othniel Charles Marsh Elmer S. Riggs
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Size Comparison

Apatosaurus 22.0 m

about as long as 4 cars end-to-end

Brachiosaurus 26.0 m

about as long as 5 cars end-to-end

Weight Comparison

Apatosaurus 22.7 t

about the weight of 3.8 elephants

Brachiosaurus 56.0 t

heavier than 9 African elephants

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Timeline Comparison

Apatosaurus
161.5 Mya Jurassic Late (Mesozoic) 145.0 Mya
Brachiosaurus
161.5 Mya Jurassic Late (Mesozoic) 145.0 Mya

Apatosaurus and Brachiosaurus 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.

Brachiosaurus

Herbivore

Brachiosaurus 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)

Brachiosaurus

Clade: Sauropodomorpha

Group: Sauropoda

(Lizard feet)

Both dinosaurs share a common ancestor within the Sauropoda clade.

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Did You Know?

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Brachiosaurus weighed roughly 2x more than Apatosaurus.

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Both Apatosaurus and Brachiosaurus 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 26 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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