Camarasaurus is a camarasaurid sauropod sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of the United States of America. It was named in 1877 by Edward Drinker Cope. It was the most common Jurassic sauropod in the Western United States; as well as this, it is often the most well-preserved.
Physiology[]
Camarasaurus was a sauropod with a bulky body, 4 large, erect, pillar-like legs, a moderately long tail, and a small head. An interesting thing to note is that its neck was only of moderate length, compared to the long necks of Diplodocus, Brontosaurus, and Brachiosaurus. Its body was covered in scaly skin.
Diet[]
Camarasaurus was an herbivore, feeding on leaves from mid-sized trees. Its laterally compressed teeth were larger more developed than those of other sauropods, and were used to process plant matter; as well as this, its moderately long neck and limbs allowed it to access vegetation some 7.4 meters in the air without rearing.
Ecology[]
Camarasaurus laid its eggs in lines rather than in neatly-organized nests, which means it didn't tend to young; a possible theory for this is that it laid its eggs in large forests, where newly-hatched sauropodlets could hide from predators such as Ornitholestes and Marshosaurus until they grew big enough to venture into the open savanna. However, younger sauropods were able to be accepted into herds, as the remains of two adults and a mid-sized juvenile were found in close proximity. Unlike other sauropods, Camarasaurus was able to chew its food, due to its large, highly developed teeth. As well as this, its moderately long neck was held at a nearly vertical position, which would allow it browse from relatively large trees with little to no problems.