Supersaurus

Su-per-sore-us.
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Liam Carter

Paleoanthropologist

Liam Carter explores the roots of humanity by studying early human fossils and artifacts. His ground-breaking work has provided a deeper understanding of our ancestors' lifestyles and social structures.

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Name

Supersaurus ‭(‬Super lizard‭)‬.

Phonetic

Su-per-sore-us.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Sauropoda,‭ ‬Diplodocidae,‭ ‬Diplodocinae.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

S.‭ ‬vivianae‭

Size

Estimated between‭ ‬33-34‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

USA,‭ ‬Colorado,‭ ‬Montrose County‭ ‬-‭ ‬Morrison Formation,‭ ‬Brushy Basin Member.‭ ‬Wyoming,‭ ‬Converse county‭ ‬-‭ ‬Morrison Formation.

Time Period

Tithonian to Kimmeridgian of the Jurassic.

Fossil representation

Post cranial remains of more than one individual.

In Depth

       Supersaurus is a relative of the ever famous Diplodocus and Apatosaurus‭ (‬formerly known as Brontosaurus‭)‬,‭ ‬as these three genera are all described as diplodocid sauropods.‭ ‬Diplodocids are members of the Diplodocidae and are noted for their long necks and tails,‭ ‬the latter of which are very thin and whip-like.‭ ‬Diplodocids can be further divided into two groups,‭ ‬diplodocines which are closer to Diplodocus and are fairly gracile‭ (‬lightly built‭)‬,‭ ‬and apatosaurines that are closer to Apatosaurus and more robust‭ (‬heavily built‭)‬.‭ ‬Of these,‭ ‬Supersaurus has usually been perceived to be closer to Apatosaurus,‭ ‬though one study‭ (‬Whitlock,‭ ‬2011‭) ‬has proposed that Supersaurus is more advanced in form than Apatosaurus,‭ ‬and should therefore be classed as a diplodocine and closer to Diplodocus.

       Supersaurus was exceptionally large,‭ ‬even for the type of dinosaur that the genus represents.‭ ‬So far all Supersaurus fossils have been recovered from the world famous Morrison Formation of North America,‭ ‬which is a clear indicator that Supersaurus lived during the late Jurassic,‭ ‬which was the high point for sauropod diversity in North America.‭ ‬Other diplodocid sauropod dinosaurs that Supersaurus may have encountered include Kaatedocus,‭ ‬Eobrontosaurus,‭ ‬Suuwassea and Amphicoelias,‭ ‬while other sauropod types such as Camarasaurus and Brachiosaurus were also roaming around.

       It is now known that the genera Dystylosaurus and Ultrasauros‭ (‬not to be confused with Ultrasaurus‭) ‬are actually synonymous with Supersaurus.‭ ‬Both of these genera were based upon the description of vertebrae that were later identified as belonging to Supersaurus.‭ ‬In fact the vertebra used to base the description of Ultrasauros is actually thought to have come from the same individual Supersaurus that became the genus holotype.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Three new sauropod dinosaurs from the Upper Jurassic of Colorado.‭ ‬Great Basin Naturalist,‭ ‬45:‭ ‬697-709.‭ ‬-‭ ‬J.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Jenson‭ ‬-‭ ‬1985. -‭ ‬A re-assessment of Ultrasauros macintoshi‭ (‬Jensen,‭ ‬1985‭)‬.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Pp.‭ ‬87-95‭ ‬in M.‭ ‬Morales‭ (‬ed.‭)‬,‭ ‬The Continental Jurassic:‭ ‬Transactions of the Continental Jurassic Symposium,‭ ‬Museum of Northern Arizona Bulletin number‭ ‬60.‭ ‬-‭ ‬B.‭ ‬Curtice,‭ ‬K.‭ ‬Stadtman‭ & ‬L.‭ ‬Curtice‭ ‬-‭ ‬1996. -‭ ‬The demise of Dystylosaurus edwini and a revision of Supersaurus vivianae.‭ ‬B.‭ ‬Curtice‭ & ‬L.‭ ‬Stadtman.‭ ‬-‭ ‬In R.‭ ‬D.‭ ‬McCord‭ & ‬D.‭ ‬Boaz‭ (‬eds.‭)‬.‭ ‬Western Association of Vertebrate Paleontologists and Southwest Paleontological Symposium,‭ ‬Proceedings‭ ‬2001.‭ ‬Mesa Southwest Museum Bulletin‭ ‬8.‭ ‬pp.‭ ‬33‭–‬40. -‭ ‬Morphology of a specimen of Supersaurus‭ (‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Sauropoda‭) ‬from the Morrison Formation of Wyoming,‭ ‬and a re-evaluation of diplodocid phylogeny.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Arquivos do Museu Nacional‭ ‬65‭ (‬4‭)‬:‭ ‬527‭–‬544.‭ ‬-‭ ‬David M.‭ ‬Lovelace,‭ ‬Scott A.‭ ‬Hartman‭ & ‬William R.‭ ‬Wahl‭ ‬-‭ ‬2007. -‭ ‬A phylogenetic analysis of Diplodocoidea‭ (‬Saurischia:‭ ‬Sauropoda‭)‬.‭” ‬Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.‭ ‬-‭ ‬J.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Whitlock‭ ‬-‭ ‬2011.

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