Apatosaurus Facts for Kids

24 Apatosaurus Facts For Kids

1. The Apatosaurus was a dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic Period.
2. Apatosaurus was a giant quadrupedal sauropod dinosaur.
3. The Apatosaurus was an herbivore that ate plants.
4. You pronounce the name Apatosaurus by saying: “ah-PAT-oh-sore-us”.
5. The meaning of the dinosaur name Apatosaurus is “deceptive lizard”.
6. There are two species of Apatosauruses recognized by paleontologists.
7. The type species for the Apatosaurus is Apatosaurus ajax.
8. The other species of Apatosaurus is Apatosaurus louisae.
9. Arthur Lakes and Henry C. Beckwith were the first people to discover an Apatosaurus specimen in 1877.
10. American professor Othniel Charles Marsh scientifically described the Apatosaurus in 1877.
11. The holotype specimen for the Apatosaurus is CM 3018, with CM 3378, CM 1162, and LACM 52844 as referred specimens.
12. The other species of Apatosaurus is Apatosaurus louisae.
13. American professor Othniel Charles Marsh scientifically described the Apatosaurus in 1877.
14. The Apatosaurus was estimated to have an average body length around 68 feet.
15. The Apatosaurus was estimated to have an average body weight around 42,560 pounds.
16. The lifespan of the Apatosaurus is estimated to have been between 80 and 100 years.
17. The running speed of the Apatosaurus is estimated to have been around 10 miles per hour.
18. Fossilized specimens of the Apatosaurus have been found in the United States in Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming.
19. Paleontologists think Apatosauruses traveled together in herds across North America.
20. Apatosaurus herds would help protect their juveniles from predators like the Allosaurus.
21. Adult Apatosauruses were some of the biggest dinosaurs during the Late Jurassic Period.
22. The Apatosaurus large size probably kept them safe, but juveniles would be vulnerable to predators.
23. Even the eggs of the Apatosaurus were large, their eggs were about the size of a basketball and about a foot tall.
24. Some paleontologists believe the Apatosaurus had a whip-like tail it could use to defend itself from predators.

Apatosaurus Pictures

There is a saying that claims a picture is worth a thousand words. If that is true then the below images will help you with your research on the Apatosaurus Below you will find three pictures related to the Apatosaurus dinosaur. These pictures should give you a bettering understanding of the Apatosaurus and what it may have looked like.

A picture of two Apatosauruses walking in a forest.

A picture of a herd of Apatosauruses.

A picture of a fossilized Apatosaurus skull.