Saurischian dinosaurs

Diplodocids

These dinosaurs belonged to the family Diplodocidae. Named after Diplodocus, they were very large four-legged vegetarians, some up to 90ft long. The name means 'double beam', and refers to the Y-shaped spines on the tail vertebrae of these dinosaurs. These spines may have been used for attachment of muscles or for protection of blood vessels. Diplodocids had small heads with a broad nose. They also had a long narrow neck and a very long thin tail. These dinosaurs lived from the Late Jurassic to Late Cretaceous periods, and their remains have been excavated as far afield as North America, Asia, Europe and Africa.

Diplodocus itself was a plant-eating dinosaur of the Late Jurassic period, Diplodocus remains have been found in Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming, USA: many skeletons being collected around the end of the nineteenth century. This very long (88ft) dinosaur had a a long thin neck and a long 'whiplash' tail which may have been used as a protective weapon.

Dicraeosaurus means 'forked lizard', and the name comes from this animal's forked vertebral spines. Dating from the Late Jurassic period, Dicraeosaurus was excavated at Tendaguru, Tanzania. It was a slim four-legged vegetarian dinosaur with a short neck and long tail. The whole animal was some 40ft long and it weighed about 6 tons.

Apatosaurus or 'deceptive reptile' is another diplodocid and is a huge plant-eating dinosaur of the Late Jurassic period. Its name refers to the fact that some of its bones resembled those of Mosasaurus. Better known as Brontosaurus, it is called Apatosaurus because it was first given this name. This 70ft long dinosaur has been found in several western states of the USA including Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming. Remains have also been found in Baja California. It was discovered by Othniel Marsh in 1877.

Mamenchisaurus, or the 'Mamenchi lizard' gets its name from the place in Szechaun, China where it was found. It may belong to its own family or to the diplodocids. This Late Jurassic dinosaur was a huge herbivore, possibly 72-90ft long, with the world's longest known neck perhaps measuring 36-49ft. The neck of Mamenchisaurus had 19 vertebrae (more than any other known dinosaur), many overlapped by strengthening rods of bone.