What is Dicraeosaurus?
Q: What is Dicraeosaurus?
A: Dicraeosaurus was a small sauropod that had some physical differences from the rest of the family.
Q: What physical differences did Dicraeosaurus have?
A: Dicraeosaurus had shorter tails, larger heads and longer neural spines along their neck and back.
Q: Where were fossils of Dicraeosaurus found?
A: Fossils of Dicraeosaurus have been found in the rocks of Tendaguru Hill in Tanzania.
Q: What other fossils were found in the same rocks as Dicraeosaurus?
A: The rocks also yield fossils of Giraffatitan and Kentrosaurus.
Q: How did sauropods reduce their weight?
A: Sauropods reduced their weight by having vertebrae that were a lattice of bony struts, used to reduce weight and take maximum stress.
Q: What is the significance of the size difference between Dicraeosaurus, Giraffatitan, and Kentrosaurus?
A: The size difference suggests that they would probably have browsed for vegetation at different levels, allowing them to co-exist without significant competition.
Q: When was the first fossil of Dicraeosaurus discovered?
A: The first fossil of Dicraeosaurus was discovered in 1914.