Apatosaurus
Apatosaurus is a huge sauropod, one of the biggest types of dinosaur. Its sheer size is enough to put off most predators, and its long neck is excellent for grazing plants and leaves beyond the reach of other herbivores.
Two into one
For many years, the most complete Apatosaurus skeleton found was thought to belong to an entirely different dinosaur. This skeleton was called Brontosaurus and became one of the best-known dinosaurs. In the 1970s, it was finally proved that Brontosaurus and Apatosaurus were, in fact, the same creature. Since Apatosaurus had been found first, this name was used.
Water dweller?
One unusual feature of Apatosaurus is that its nostrils are located on the very top of its head. In the past, this led some people to believe that it might live in water, like a hippopotamus. The idea seemed to make sense; the water would help support the dinosaur’s massive body and Apatosaurus would be able to breathe by sticking the top of its head out of the water. Unfortunately, this interesting theory was ruined by the fact that this dinosaur has never been spotted anywhere near water; it is a land-dweller after all.
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