Barosaurus is a diplodocid sauropod sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of the United States of America. It was named in 1890 by Othniel Charles Marsh. It had a very long neck for a sauropod (only being beaten by Mamenchisaurus in terms of neck length); as well as this, it was the largest sauropod, and by extension, the largest dinosaur to walk the Earth.
Physiology[]
Barosaurus was a sauropod with a bulky body, 4 large, erect, pillar-like legs (with one large claw on each hand and 3 clawed toes on each foot), an extremely long, whip-like tail, and a small head. Perhaps the most defining trait of Barosaurus was its extremely long neck. Its body would have been covered in scaly skin, with a row of spines running down its back.
Diet[]
Barosaurus was an herbivore, primarily feeding on ferns, cycads, horsetails, and leaves, but also snacking on algae from time to time. Its peg-like teeth were used to strip branches of their leaves, and its long neck would have helped it reach plants further away from its body.
Ecology[]
So far, all we know about Barosaurus is that it was able to sweep its extremely long neck across a wide area of vegetation without having to constantly move from one area to another, it used its peg-like teeth to strip branches of their leaves, and in order to breathe properly, it received a steady supply of oxygen through avian air sacs running all the way from its neck to its lungs (like any other dinosaur).