[D] Brachiosaurus [sG]
Describer
Riggs, 1903
Time
Jurassic Late Cretaceous Early Kimmeridgian Tithonian Berriasian Valanginian Hauterivian Barremian Aptian Albian
Classification
Saurischia Sauropodomorpha Sauropoda Brachiosauridae
Diet
Herbivore
Fossilsite
US Tanzania Algeria
Typespecies
Brachiosaurus altithorax
Length
25 meter
Info
Genus - Skull
Brachiosaurus > Brachiosaurus altithorax (Riggs, 1903) = Giraffatitan (Paul, 1988) Brachiosaurus > Brachiosaurus brancai (Janensch, 1914) >> Brachiosaurus fraasi (Janensch, 1914) Brachiosaurus > Brachiosaurus (Giraffatitan) brancai (Paul, 1988) Brachiosaurus > Brachiosaurus nougaredi (Lapparent, 1960)
Partlial skeleton from 2 individuals
Brachiosaurus is known from all parts of the skeleton except for the important neural arches of the caudal cervical and cranial dorsal vertebrae and much of the pes. It was one of the largest sauropods and the one in which the lengthening of the forelimb relative to the hindlimb reached its extreme.
Brachiosaurus altithorax was present in the Late Jurassic of North America, Brachiosaurus brancai in eastern Africa.
(B.atalaiensis) Lusotitan atalaiensis from Europe is regarded as a Brachiosauridae due to the low neural spines, prominent deltopectoral crest of the humerus, elongated humerus, and the longitudinal axis of the ilium is upward.
The skull is relativily large, of the general camarasaur type but broader and with a more elongate snout. The jaws are robust with broad subspatulate teeth, the crowns convex laterally, concave medially, many with a median ridge.