Name:
Astrodon (Greek for "star tooth"); pronounced AStro-don
Habitat:
Woodlands of eastern North America
Historical Period:
Early-Middle Cretaceous (120-110 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 50 feet long and 20 tons
Diet:
Plants
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Large size; similarity to Brachiosaurus
About Astrodon:
For a state dinosaur (it was honored by Maryland in 1998), Astrodon has a fairly checkered provenance. This medium-sized sauropod was a close relative of the more famous Brachiosaurus, and it may or may not have been the same animal as Pleurocoelus, the current state dinosaur of Texas (which may soon lose its title). The importance of Astrodon is more historical than paleontological; two of its teeth were dug up in Maryland in 1859, the first dinosaur find in that small state.
