Apatosaurus

a-PAH-toe-SORE-us – “deceptive reptile”

Apatosaurus dates from the Late Jurassic (150 million years ago) of Utah.  This large, herbivorous (plant-eating) dinosaur had a small head, long neck and tail, and four stout legs.  Its peg-like teeth are thought to have been a “vegetation rake” that allowed it to strip foliage from trees.  It belongs to the group of dinosaurs called sauropods (“reptile foot”).

Once know as  Brontosaurus , the name of the animal reverted to  Apatosaurus when paleontologists realized that both names represent the same type of dinosaur.  Apatosaurus was named first, and thus has priority.  Such classification changes often occur when new fossils and information come to light, leading to new interpretations by scientists.

The Cincinnati Museum Center’s partial skeleton of an Apatosaurus.