The Diplodocus

Diplodocus

Diplodocus is an extinct genus of diplodocid sauropod dinosaurs. The name is derived from Greek διπλός "double" and δοκός "beam", in reference to its double-beamed chevron bones located in the underside of the tail. Once the most famous dinosaur in the world, Diplodocus had four large sturdy legs supporting a long neck and a long tail that could be flailed around like a whip. It was huge and may have reached over 30 metres and weighed around 15 tonnes.

 

They lived there about 150 million years ago during the late Jurassic period they thrived in a time when the Earth's warm temperatures encouraged rapid plant growth. Diplodocus needed a lot of food to keep it alive. Using rake-like teeth, this animal could have stripped an area of any vegetation very quickly, especially considering that there is evidence they travelled in herds, the quantity of plant material eaten by these massive herbivore must have been considerable. Diplodocus' tail was about 14m long, which is one of the longest tails of any animal to have ever walked the earth. Like most Sauropods, Diplodocus' nostrils were actually high up on its forehead instead of at the end of its snout. A recently discovered fossil of a skin impression suggests that this animal had spines along its neck.