The 60-foot-long, 25 ton plant-eater Camarasaurus supremus was one of
the most common dinosaurs in Late Jurassic North America 156 to 140 million
years ago. Unlike its contemporaries Diplodocus
and Apatosaurus
, whose front legs were considerably shorter than their hind limbs, or
Brachiosaurus , whose were just the opposite, Camarasaurus 's
front and hind legs were approximately the same size. With its shorter neck,
Camarasaurus may have reared on its hind limbs to reach higher fodder.
Sauropods did not chew their food, but scraped it into their mouths with their
teeth, swallowed it, and allowed gizzard stones to grind it up for digestion.
Camarasaurus 's teeth were spatulate, or spoon-shaped.
Illustration 1992/2000 Brian Franczak
Text 1998 Brian
Franczak
