BRACHIOSAURUS

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When translated to English the Greek name Brachiosaurus means "arm lizard". They were so called because, unlike other sauropods, Brachiosaurus' front legs were longer than their back legs, giving it them a giraffe-like stance. They had extremely long necks, but had relatively short tails in comparison with other sauropods. Brachiosaurus was notably abundant in the late Jurassic (163-144 M.Y.A.). Fossils of Brachiosaurus have been found in North America and Africa. The largest of the sauropods, they grew to a length of about 23m and could raise their heads up to about 15m in the air(the height of a three storey building). They also reached massive weights sometimes greater than 80 tonnes. Brachiosaurus' nosrils were located on a domal structure on top of their heads suggesting a possible aquatic existence. (Image courtesy of sphere.ad).