Name:
Supersaurus (Greek for "super lizard"); pronounced SOUP-er-SORE-us
Habitat:
Woodlands of North America
Historical Period:
Late Jurassic (155-145 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 140 feet long and 50 tons
Diet:
Plants
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Extremely long neck and tail; small head
About Supersaurus:
In most ways, Supersaurus was a typical sauropod, with its long neck and tail, bulky body, and extremely small head (and brain). What set it apart from enormous cousins such as Diplodocus and Argentinosaurus was its unusual length: Supersaurus may have been 140 feet long from head to tail, or almost half the length of a football field!
Despite its extreme length, though, it's clear that Supersaurus wasn't the heaviest sauropod that ever lived, weighing in at "only" 50 tons or so (compared to over 100 tons for the biggest herbivores).
