Diplodocus

Diplodocus is one of the most famous sauropods of the Late Jurassic, discovered in the Morrison Formation of western North America. It possessed an exceptionally long neck and an elongated, whip-like tail that may have functioned in defence or acoustic signalling. Although stretching up to twenty-seven metres in length, Diplodocus was lightly built compared with other giant sauropods, weighing roughly twelve to sixteen tonnes. Its peg-like teeth were clustered at the very front of the jaws, ideally suited for stripping soft foliage, such as ferns and cycads, using a raking motion. Skin impressions reveal it bore a row of small keratinous spines running along the midline of the back and tail. A cast of a Diplodocus skeleton known as Dippy was famously displayed in London for over a century.

Its chevron bones beneath the tail vertebrae possess a distinctive double-beamed shape that inspired its scientific name.

Where and when

Diplodocus lived in the Late Jurassic, from 154 to 150 million years ago (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian age). Its remains come from United States, in the Morrison Formation.

The numbers

Length 26 m (estimates run from 24 to 27 m). Mass about 14 t. Hip height about 4 m. That is 15 human-lengths, or 2.28 of a double-decker bus. These are estimates from near-complete skeleton; fields marked estimated by the site are length, mass, hip height.

Compare Diplodocus with a bus Place on the timeline