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Barosaurus

By Bob Strauss, About.com

Barosaurus (Wikimedia Commons)

Name:

Barosaurus (Greek for "heavy lizard"); pronounced BAH-roe-SORE-us

Habitat:

Plains of North America

Historical Period:

Late Jurassic (155-145 million years ago)

Size and Weight:

About 80 feet long and 20 tons

Diet:

Plants

Distinguishing Characteristics:

Extremely long neck and tail; tiny head

About Barosaurus:

A close relative of Diplodocus, Barosaurus is virtually indistinguishable from its harder-to-pronounce cousin, save for its 30-foot-long neck. Like other sauropods, Barosaurus wasn't the brainiest dinosaur that ever lived--its head was unusually small for its massive body--and it probably spent its entire life foraging the tops of trees, protected from predators by its sheer bulk.

The length of this dinosaur's neck raises some interesting questions. If Barosaurus reared up to its full height, it would be as tall as a five-story building--which would place enormous demands on its heart. Evolutionary biologists have calculated that the ticker of a such a long-necked sauropod would have had to weigh a whopping 1.5 tons, which has prompted speculation about alternate body plans (say, involving additional, "subsidiary" hearts lining its neck).

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