View source for Apatosaurus

{{short description|Sauropod dinosaur genus from Late Jurassic period}}
{{featured article}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = [[Late Jurassic]] ([[Kimmeridgian]]), {{Geological range|152|151}}
| image = Apatosaurus_louisae_-_CM.jpg
| image_caption = Mounted ''A. louisae'' (specimen CM 3018), [[Carnegie Museum of Natural History]]
| image_upright = 1.1
| taxon = Apatosaurus
| authority = [[Othniel Charles Marsh|Marsh]], 1877
| type_species = {{extinct}}'''''Apatosaurus ajax'''''
| type_species_authority = Marsh, 1877
| subdivision_ranks = Other species
| subdivision = *{{extinct}}'''''A. louisae'''''<br /><small>Holland, 1916</small>
| synonyms = *''[[Atlantosaurus montanus]]''?<br /><small>Marsh, 1877</small><ref name=taylor2010>Taylor, M.P. (2010). "Sauropod dinosaur research: a historical review." Pp. 361–386 in Moody, R.T.J., Buffetaut, E., Naish, D. and Martill, D.E. (eds.), ''Dinosaurs and Other Extinct Saurians: A Historical Perspective''. London: The Geological Society, Special Publication No. 34.</ref><ref name=berman&mcintosh1978>Berman, D.S. and McIntosh, J. S. (1978). "Skull and relationships of the Upper Jurassic sauropod ''Apatosaurus'' (Reptilia, Saurischia)." ''Bulletin of the Carnegie Museum'', '''8''': 1–35.</ref>
}}

'''''Apatosaurus''''' ({{IPAc-en|ə|ˌ|p|æ|t|ə|ˈ|s|ɔːr|ə|s}};<ref>{{MerriamWebsterDictionary|Apatosaurus}}</ref><ref>{{Dictionary.com|Apatosaurus}}</ref> meaning "deceptive lizard") is a [[genus]] of [[herbivore|herbivorous]] [[sauropod]] [[dinosaur]] that lived in [[Laurentia|North America]] during the [[Late Jurassic]] [[period (geology)|period]]. [[Othniel Charles Marsh]] described and named the first-known species, '''''Apatosaurus ajax''''', in 1877, and a second species, '''''Apatosaurus louisae''''', was discovered and named by William H. Holland in 1916. ''Apatosaurus'' lived about 152 to 151 million years ago (mya), during the late [[Kimmeridgian]] to early [[Tithonian]] age, and are now known from [[fossil]]s in the [[Morrison Formation]] of modern-day [[Colorado]], [[Oklahoma]], [[New Mexico]], [[Wyoming]], and [[Utah]] in the United States. ''Apatosaurus'' had an average length of {{convert|21|-|23|m|ft|abbr=on}}, and an average mass of {{convert|16.4|-|22.4|t|LT ST|abbr=on}}. A few specimens indicate a maximum length of 11–30% greater than average and a mass of approximately {{convert|33|t|LT ST|abbr=on}}.

The [[cervical vertebrae]] of ''Apatosaurus'' are less elongated and more heavily constructed than those of ''[[Diplodocus]]'', a [[diplodocid]] like ''Apatosaurus'', and the bones of the leg are much stockier despite being longer, implying that ''Apatosaurus'' was a more robust animal. The tail was held above the ground during normal locomotion. ''Apatosaurus'' had a single [[claw]] on each forelimb and three on each hindlimb. The ''Apatosaurus'' skull, long thought to be similar to ''[[Camarasaurus]]'', is much more similar to that of ''Diplodocus''. ''Apatosaurus'' was a generalized [[browsing (herbivory)|browser]] that likely held its head elevated. To lighten its vertebrae, ''Apatosaurus'' had [[air sacs]] that made the bones internally full of holes. Like that of other diplodocids, its tail may have been used as a whip to create loud noises, or, as more recently suggested, as a sensory organ.

The skull of ''Apatosaurus'' was confused with that of ''Camarasaurus'' and ''[[Brachiosaurus]]'' until 1909, when the [[holotype]] of ''A. louisae'' was found, and a complete skull just a few meters away from the front of the neck. [[Henry Fairfield Osborn]] disagreed with this association, and went on to mount a skeleton of ''Apatosaurus'' with a ''Camarasaurus'' skull cast. ''Apatosaurus'' skeletons were mounted with speculative skull casts until 1970, when McIntosh showed that more robust skulls assigned to ''Diplodocus'' were more likely from ''Apatosaurus''.

''Apatosaurus'' is a genus in the family Diplodocidae. It is one of the more [[basal (phylogenetics)|basal]] genera, with only ''[[Amphicoelias]]'' and possibly a new, unnamed genus more primitive. Although the subfamily [[Apatosaurinae]] was named in 1929, the group was not used [[valid name (zoology)|validly]] until an extensive 2015 study. Only ''[[Brontosaurus]]'' is also in the subfamily, with the other genera being considered synonyms or reclassified as [[diplodocinae|diplodocines]]. ''Brontosaurus'' has long been considered a [[junior synonym]] of ''Apatosaurus''; its type species was reclassified as ''A.{{nbsp}}excelsus'' in 1903. A 2015 study concluded that ''Brontosaurus'' is a valid genus of sauropod distinct from ''Apatosaurus'', but not all paleontologists agree with this division. As it existed in North America during the late Jurassic, ''Apatosaurus'' would have lived alongside dinosaurs such as ''[[Allosaurus]]'', ''Camarasaurus'', ''Diplodocus'', and ''[[Stegosaurus]]''.

==Description==
[[File:Apatosaurus scale mmartyniuk wiki.png|thumb|left|Comparison of ''A. ajax'' (orange) and ''A.{{nbsp}}louisae'' (red) with a human (blue) and ''[[Brontosaurus parvus]]'' (green)]]
''Apatosaurus'' was a large, long-necked, [[quadruped]]al animal with a long, whip-like tail. Its [[forelimb]]s were slightly shorter than its [[hindlimb]]s. Most size estimates are based on specimen [[Carnegie Museum of Natural History|CM]]{{nbsp}}3018, the [[type (biology)|type specimen]] of ''A.{{nbsp}}louisae'', reaching {{convert|21|-|23|m|ft|abbr=on}} in length and {{convert|16.4|-|22.4|t|LT ST|abbr=on}} in body mass.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Paul|first=Gregory S.|title=The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs|year=2016|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-1-78684-190-2|oclc=985402380|page=217}}</ref><ref name=Seebacher01/><ref name="mazzettaetal2004"/><ref name=henderson/> A 2015 study that estimated the mass of volumetric models of ''[[Dreadnoughtus]]'', ''Apatosaurus'', and ''[[Giraffatitan]]'' estimates CM{{nbsp}}3018 at {{convert|21.8|-|38.2|t|LT ST|abbr=on}}, similar in mass to ''Dreadnoughtus''.<ref name="bates&falkingham2015"/> Some specimens of ''A.{{nbsp}}ajax'' (such as [[Oklahoma Museum of Natural History|OMNH]]{{nbsp}}1670) represent individuals 11{{ndash}}30% longer, suggesting masses twice that of CM{{nbsp}}3018 or {{convert|32.7|-|72.6|t|LT ST|abbr=on}}, potentially rivaling the largest [[titanosaur]]s.<ref name="wedel2013"/> However, the upper size estimate of OMNH{{nbsp}}1670 is likely an exaggeration, with the size estimates revised in 2020 at {{cvt|30|m|ft}} in length and {{cvt|33|MT|ST}} in body mass based on volumetric analysis.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Molina-Pérez|first1=R.|last2=Larramendi|first2=A.|year=2020|title=Dinosaur Facts and Figures: The Sauropods and Other Sauropodomorphs|page=256|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-0-691-19069-3}}</ref>
[[File:Apatosaurus ajax skull.jpg|thumb|''A. ajax'' skull, specimen CMC VP 7180]]
The skull is small in relation to the size of the animal. The jaws are lined with spatulate (chisel-like) teeth suited to an [[herbivore|herbivorous]] diet.<ref name="fastovsky"/> The snout of ''Apatosaurus'' and similar [[diplodocoidea|diplodocoids]] is squared, with only ''[[Nigersaurus]]'' having a squarer skull.<ref name="whitlock11"/> The braincase of ''Apatosaurus'' is well preserved in specimen BYU{{nbsp}}17096, which also preserved much of the skeleton. A phylogenetic analysis found that the braincase had a morphology similar to those of other diplodocoids.<ref name="balanoff2010"/> Some skulls of ''Apatosaurus'' have been found still in articulation with their teeth. Those teeth that have the [[tooth enamel|enamel]] surface exposed do not show any scratches on the surface; instead, they display a sugary texture and little wear.<ref name="whitlock11"/>
[[File:Apatosaurus ajax holotype cervical.png|thumb|left|Cervical vertebra of ''A. ajax'' (holotype, [[Peabody Museum of Natural History|YPM]] 1860) in side and anterior view]]
Like those of other sauropods, the neck vertebrae are deeply bifurcated; they carried neural spines with a large trough in the middle, resulting in a wide, deep neck.<ref name="fastovsky"/> The vertebral formula for the holotype of ''A.{{nbsp}}louisae'' is 15{{nbsp}}cervicals, 10{{nbsp}}[[thoracic vertebrae|dorsals]], 5{{nbsp}}[[Sacrum#Other animals|sacrals]], and 82{{nbsp}}[[Vertebra#Other animals|caudals]]. The caudal vertebra number may vary, even within species.<ref name="gilmore36"/> The cervical vertebrae of ''Apatosaurus'' and ''Brontosaurus'' are stouter and more robust than those of other [[diplodocid]]s and were found to be most similar to ''Camarasaurus'' by [[Charles Whitney Gilmore]].<ref name="gilmore36"/><ref name="twne15"/> In addition, they support [[Cervical rib#Other animals|cervical ribs]] that extend farther towards the ground than in diplodocines, and have vertebrae and ribs that are narrower towards the top of the neck, making the neck nearly triangular in cross-section.<ref name="twne15"/> In ''Apatosaurus louisae'', the [[atlas (anatomy)|atlas]]-[[axis (anatomy)|axis]] complex of the first cervicals is nearly fused. The dorsal ribs are not fused or tightly attached to their vertebrae and are instead loosely articulated.<ref name="gilmore36"/> ''Apatosaurus'' has ten dorsal ribs on either side of the body.<ref name="riggs-1903"/> The large neck was filled with an extensive system of weight-saving air sacs. ''Apatosaurus'', like its close relative ''[[Supersaurus]]'', has tall neural spines, which make up more than half the height of the individual bones of its vertebrae. The shape of the tail is unusual for a diplodocid; it is comparatively slender because of the rapidly decreasing height of the vertebral spines with increasing distance from the hips. ''Apatosaurus'' also had very long ribs compared to most other diplodocids, giving it an unusually deep chest.<ref name=LHW07/> As in other diplodocids, the tail transformed into a whip-like structure towards the end.<ref name="gilmore36"/>
[[File:Apatosaurus louisae by durbed.jpg|thumb|[[Paleoart|Artistic interpretation]] of ''A. louisae'']]
The limb bones are also very robust.<ref name=LHW07/> Within [[Apatosaurinae]], the [[scapula]] of ''Apatosaurus louisae'' is intermediate in morphology between those of ''A.{{nbsp}}ajax'' and ''Brontosaurus excelsus''. The arm bones are stout, so the [[humerus]] of ''Apatosaurus'' resembles that of ''Camarasaurus'', as well as ''Brontosaurus''. However, the humeri of ''Brontosaurus'' and ''A.{{nbsp}}ajax'' are more similar to each other than they are to ''A.{{nbsp}}louisae''. In 1936, [[Charles W. Gilmore|Charles Gilmore]] noted that previous reconstructions of ''Apatosaurus'' forelimbs erroneously proposed that the [[Radius (bone)|radius]] and [[ulna]] could cross; in life they would have remained parallel.<ref name="gilmore36"/> ''Apatosaurus'' had a single large claw on each forelimb, a feature shared by all sauropods more derived than ''[[Shunosaurus]]''.<ref name="gilmore36"/><ref name="upchurchmanus"/> The first three toes had claws on each hindlimb. The phalangeal formula is 2-1-1-1-1, meaning the innermost finger (phalanx) on the forelimb has two bones and the next has one.<ref name="martin06"/> The single manual claw bone ([[ungual]]) is slightly curved and squarely [[:wikt:truncated|truncated]] on the anterior end. The pelvic girdle includes the robust [[ilium bone|ilia]], and the fused (co-ossified) [[pubic bone|pubes]] and [[ischium|ischia]]. The femora of ''Apatosaurus'' are very stout and represent some of the most robust femora of any member of Sauropoda. The tibia and fibula bones are different from the slender bones of ''Diplodocus'' but are nearly indistinguishable from those of ''Camarasaurus''. The fibula is longer and slenderer than the tibia. The foot of ''Apatosaurus'' has three claws on the innermost digits; the digit formula is 3-4-5-3-2. The first metatarsal is the stoutest, a feature shared among diplodocids.<ref name="gilmore36"/><ref name="Upchurch05"/>

==Discovery and species==
=== Initial discovery ===
[[File:Arthur Lakes illustration of Apatosaurus ajax and Atlantosaurus montanus at Morrison, Colorado.jpg|left|thumb|[[Arthur Lakes]]' painting of YPM crews excavating fossils of ''Apatosaurus ajax'' at Quarry 10 in Morrison.]]
The first ''Apatosaurus'' fossils were discovered by Arthur Lakes, a local miner, and his friend Henry C. Beckwith in the spring of 1877 in Morrison, a town in the eastern foothills of the [[Rocky Mountains]] in [[Jefferson County, Colorado]]. Arthur Lakes wrote to [[Othniel Charles Marsh]], Professor of [[Paleontology]] at [[Yale University]], and [[Edward Drinker Cope]], a paleontologist based in Philadelphia, about the discovery until eventually collecting several fossils and sending them to both paleontologists. Marsh named ''Atlantosaurus montanus'' based on some of the fossils sent and hired Lakes to collect the rest of the material at Morrison and send it to Yale, while Cope attempted to hire Lakes as well but was rejected.<ref name=":1">Kohl, M. F., & McIntosh, J. S. 1997, Discovering Dinosaurs in the Old West: The field journals of Arthur Lakes.</ref> One of the best specimens collected by Lakes in 1877 was a well preserved partial postcranial skeleton, including many vertebrae, and a partial braincase ([[Peabody Museum of Natural History|YPM]] VP 1860), which was sent to Marsh and named ''Apatosaurus ajax'' in November 1877.<ref name="TMB2015" /><ref name=":1" /> The composite term ''Apatosaurus'' comes from the [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] words ''{{lang|grc-Latn|apatē}}'' ({{lang|grc|ἀπάτη}})/''{{lang|grc-Latn|apatēlos}}'' ({{lang|grc|ἀπατηλός}}) meaning "deception"/"deceptive", and ''{{lang|grc-Latn|sauros}}'' ({{lang|grc|[[wikt:σαῦρος|σαῦρος]]}}) meaning "lizard";<ref name="liddell" /> thus, "deceptive lizard". Marsh gave it this name based on the [[chevron (anatomy)|chevron]] bones, which are dissimilar to those of other dinosaurs; instead, the chevron bones of ''Apatosaurus'' showed similarities with those of [[mosasaur]]s,<ref name="marsh1877" /><ref name="Holtz2008" /> most likely that of the representative species ''[[Mosasaurus]]''. By the end of excavations at Lakes' quarry in Morrison, several partial specimens of ''Apatosaurus'' had been collected, but only the type specimen of ''A. ajax'' can be confidently referred to the species.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marsh |first=O.T. |title=Apatosaurus ajax?; YPM VP 004833; North America; USA; Colorado; Jefferson County; Arthur Lakes |url=https://collections.peabody.yale.edu/search/Record/YPM-VP-004833 |access-date=March 11, 2022 |website=collections.peabody.yale.edu |language=en}}</ref><ref name="TMB2015" />

During excavation and transportation, the bones of the holotype skeleton were mixed with those of another Apatosaurine individual originally described as ''Atlantosaurus immanis''; as a consequence, some elements cannot be ascribed to either specimen with confidence.<ref name="TMB2015" /> Marsh distinguished the new genus ''Apatosaurus'' from ''[[Atlantosaurus]]'' on the basis of the number of sacral vertebrae, with ''Apatosaurus'' possessing three and ''Atlantosaurus'' four. Recent research shows that traits usually used to distinguish taxa at this time were actually widespread across several taxa, causing many of the taxa named to be invalid, like ''Atlantosaurus''.<ref name="TMB2015" /> Two years later, Marsh announced the discovery of a larger and more complete specimen (YPM VP 1980) from [[Como Bluff]], [[Wyoming]], he gave this specimen the name ''Brontosaurus excelsus''.<ref name="marsh1879" /> Also at Como Bluff, the Hubbell brothers working for Edward Drinker Cope collected a tibia, fibula, scapula, and several caudal vertebrae along with other fragments belonging to ''Apatosaurus'' in 1877–78 at Cope's Quarry 5 at the site.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007 |title=Apatosaurus sp. AMNH FR 5755 |url=http://research.amnh.org/paleontology/search.php?action=detail&specimen_id=48563}}</ref> Later in 1884, Othniel Marsh named ''Diplodocus lacustris'' based on a chimeric partial dentary, snout, and several teeth collected by Lakes in 1877 at Morrison.<ref name="TMB2015" /><ref name=":2">Mossbrucker, M. T., & Bakker, R. T. (October 2013). Missing muzzle found: new skull material referrable to Apatosaurus ajax (Marsh 1877) from the Morrison Formation of Morrison, Colorado. In ''Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs'' (Vol. 45, p. 111).</ref> In 2013, it was suggested that the dentary of ''D. lacustris'' and its teeth were actually from ''Apatosaurus ajax'' based on its proximity to the type braincase of ''A. ajax''.<ref name=":2" /> All specimens currently considered ''Apatosaurus'' were from the [[Morrison Formation]], the location of the excavations of Marsh and Cope.<ref name="OM06" />[[File:Apatosaurus ajax sacrum.jpg|thumb|''A. ajax'' sacrum, illustrated in 1879]]

=== Second Dinosaur Rush and skull issue ===
After the end of the [[Bone Wars]], many major institutions in the eastern United States were inspired by the depictions and finds by Marsh and Cope to assemble their own dinosaur fossil collections.<ref name=":3">Brinkman, P. D. (2010). ''The second Jurassic dinosaur rush''. University of Chicago Press.</ref> The competition to mount the first sauropod skeleton specifically was the most intense, with the [[American Museum of Natural History]], [[Carnegie Museum of Natural History]], and [[Field Museum of Natural History]] all sending expeditions to the west to find the most complete sauropod specimen,<ref name=":3" /> bring it back to the home institution, and mount it in their fossil halls.<ref name=":3" /> The American Museum of Natural History was the first to launch an expedition,<ref name=":3" /> finding a well preserved skeleton (AMNH 460), which is occasionally assigned to ''Apatosaurus'', is considered nearly complete; only the head, feet, and sections of the tail are missing, and it was the first sauropod skeleton mounted.<ref name="Bakker" /> The specimen was found north of [[Medicine Bow, Wyoming]], in 1898 by [[Walter W. Granger|Walter Granger]], and took the entire summer to extract.<ref name="mathew1905">{{cite journal |last1=Matthew |first1=W.D. |date=1905 |title=The mounted skeleton of ''Brontosaurus'' |url=https://archive.org/stream/p2naturalhistory05ameruoft |journal=The American Museum Journal |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=63–70}}</ref> To complete the mount, sauropod feet that were discovered at the same quarry and a tail fashioned to appear as Marsh believed it should{{snd}}but which had too few vertebrae{{snd}}were added. In addition, a sculpted model of what the museum thought the skull of this massive creature might look like was made. This was not a delicate skull like that of ''Diplodocus''{{snd}}which was later found to be more accurate{{snd}}but was based on "the biggest, thickest, strongest skull bones, lower jaws and tooth crowns from three different quarries".<ref name="gilmore36" /><ref name="riggs-1903" /><ref name="Bakker" /><ref name="mcintosh&berman1975" /> These skulls were likely those of ''Camarasaurus'', the only other sauropod for which good skull material was known at the time. The mount construction was overseen by Adam Hermann, who failed to find ''Apatosaurus'' skulls. Hermann was forced to sculpt a stand-in skull by hand. Osborn said in a publication that the skull was "largely conjectural and based on that of ''Morosaurus''" (now ''Camarasaurus'').<ref name="camarasaurusbully" />[[File:Sharp lull brontosaurus.jpg|thumb|left|Obsolete mount of an apatosaurine (possibly ''Apatosaurus'') specimen AMNH{{nbsp}}460 with sculpted skull, [[American Museum of Natural History]]]]
In 1903, [[Elmer S. Riggs|Elmer Riggs]] published a study that described a well-preserved skeleton of a diplodocid from the [[Grand Valley (Colorado-Utah)|Grand River Valley]] near [[Fruita, Colorado]], Field Museum of Natural History specimen P25112. Riggs thought that the deposits were similar in age to those of the Como Bluff in Wyoming from which Marsh had described ''Brontosaurus''. Most of the skeleton was found, and after comparison with both ''Brontosaurus'' and ''Apatosaurus ajax'', Riggs realized that the holotype of ''A.{{nbsp}}ajax'' was immature, and thus the features distinguishing the genera were not valid. Since ''Apatosaurus'' was the earlier name, ''Brontosaurus'' should be considered a junior synonym of ''Apatosaurus''. Because of this, Riggs recombined ''Brontosaurus excelsus'' as ''Apatosaurus excelsus''. Based on comparisons with other species proposed to belong to ''Apatosaurus'', Riggs also determined that the Field Columbian Museum specimen was likely most similar to ''A.{{nbsp}}excelsus''.<ref name="riggs-1903"/>

Despite Riggs' publication, [[Henry Fairfield Osborn]], who was a strong opponent of Marsh and his taxa, labeled the ''Apatosaurus'' mount of the [[American Museum of Natural History]] ''Brontosaurus''.<ref name="camarasaurusbully"/><ref name="parsons"/> Because of this decision the name ''Brontosaurus'' was commonly used outside of scientific literature for what Riggs considered ''Apatosaurus'', and the museum's popularity meant that ''Brontosaurus'' became one of the best known dinosaurs, even though it was invalid throughout nearly all of the 20th and early 21st centuries.<ref name="crafton82">{{cite book|last1=Crafton|first1=D.C.|title=Before Mickey: The Animated Film 1898–1928|publisher=MIT Press|year=1982|isbn=978-0-262-03083-0|url=http://www.micheleleigh.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Crafton.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.micheleleigh.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Crafton.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|pages=1–57}}</ref>
[[File:Field Museum Apatosaurus with original incorrect skull.jpg|thumb|Apatosaurine mount (FMNH P25112) in the [[Field Museum of Natural History]] in the 1950s, with its original, inaccurately reconstructed skull]]
It was not until 1909 that an ''Apatosaurus'' skull was found during the first expedition, led by [[Earl Douglass]], to what would become known as the Carnegie Quarry at [[Dinosaur National Monument]]. The skull was found a short distance from a skeleton (specimen CM{{nbsp}}3018) identified as the new species ''Apatosaurus louisae'', named after [[Louise Whitfield Carnegie|Louise Carnegie]], wife of [[Andrew Carnegie]], who funded field research to find complete dinosaur skeletons in the American West. The skull was designated CM{{nbsp}}11162; it was very similar to the skull of ''Diplodocus''.<ref name="parsons" /> Another smaller skeleton of ''A.{{nbsp}}louisae'' was found nearby CM{{nbsp}}11162 and CM{{nbsp}}3018.<ref name="glut1977" /> The skull was accepted as belonging to the ''Apatosaurus'' specimen by Douglass and Carnegie Museum director William H. Holland, although other scientists{{snd}}most notably Osborn{{snd}}rejected this identification. Holland defended his view in 1914 in an address to the Paleontological Society of America, yet he left the Carnegie Museum mount headless. While some thought Holland was attempting to avoid conflict with Osborn, others suspected Holland was waiting until an articulated skull and neck were found to confirm the association of the skull and skeleton.<ref name="camarasaurusbully" /> After Holland's death in 1934, museum staff placed a cast of a ''Camarasaurus'' skull on the mount.<ref name="parsons" />

While most other museums were using cast or sculpted ''Camarasaurus'' skulls on ''Apatosaurus'' mounts, the Yale Peabody Museum decided to sculpt a skull based on the lower jaw of a ''Camarasaurus'', with the cranium based on Marsh's 1891 illustration of the skull. The skull also included forward-pointing nasals{{snd}}something unusual for any dinosaur{{snd}}and fenestrae differing from both the drawing and other skulls.<ref name="camarasaurusbully" />
[[File:Apatosaurus louisae side (Morrison Formation, Upper Jurassic; Carnegie Quarry, Dinosaur National Monument, northeastern Utah, USA).jpg|thumb|left|Side view of ''A. louisae'' CM{{nbsp}}3018 mounted with a cast of skull CM{{nbsp}}11162]]
No ''Apatosaurus'' skull was mentioned in literature until the 1970s when [[John Stanton McIntosh]] and David Berman redescribed the skulls of ''Diplodocus'' and ''Apatosaurus''. They found that though he never published his opinion, Holland was almost certainly correct, that ''Apatosaurus'' had a ''Diplodocus''-like skull. According to them, many skulls long thought to pertain to ''Diplodocus'' might instead be those of ''Apatosaurus''. They reassigned multiple skulls to ''Apatosaurus'' based on associated and closely associated vertebrae. Even though they supported Holland, it was noted that ''Apatosaurus'' might have possessed a ''Camarasaurus''-like skull, based on a disarticulated ''Camarasaurus''-like tooth found at the precise site where an ''Apatosaurus'' specimen was found years before.<ref name="mcintosh&berman1975" /> On October{{nbsp}}20, 1979, after the publications by McIntosh and Berman, the first true skull of ''Apatosaurus'' was mounted on a skeleton in a museum, that of the Carnegie.<ref name="parsons" /> In 1998, it was suggested that the Felch Quarry skull that Marsh had included in his 1896 skeletal restoration instead belonged to ''[[Brachiosaurus]]''.<ref name="carpenter98" /> This was supported in 2020 with a redescription of the [[Brachiosauridae|brachiosaurid]] material found at the Felch Quarry.<ref name="D'Emic-2019">{{Cite journal |last1=D'Emic |first1=Michael D. |last2=Carrano |first2=Matthew T. |date=June 28, 2019 |title=Redescription of Brachiosaurid Sauropod Dinosaur Material From the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation, Colorado, USA |journal=The Anatomical Record |volume=303 |issue=4 |pages=732–758 |doi=10.1002/ar.24198 |pmid=31254331 |s2cid=195765189 |issn=1932-8486|doi-access=free}}</ref>

=== Recent discoveries and reassessment ===
In 2011, the first specimen of ''Apatosaurus'' where a skull was found articulated with its cervical vertebrae was described. This specimen, [[Cincinnati Museum Center|CMC]]{{nbsp}}VP{{nbsp}}7180, was found to differ in both skull and neck features from ''A.{{nbsp}}louisae'', but shared many features of the cervical vertebrae with ''A.{{nbsp}}ajax''.<ref name="barrettetal11" /> Another well-preserved skull is [[Brigham Young University]] specimen 17096, a well-preserved skull and skeleton, with a preserved braincase. The specimen was found in Cactus Park Quarry in western [[Colorado]].<ref name="balanoff2010" /> In 2013, Matthew Mossbrucker and several other authors published an abstract that described a premaxilla and maxilla from Lakes' original quarry in Morrison and referred the material to ''Apatosaurus ajax.''<ref name=":2" /> 
[[File:Brontosaurus infographic.svg|thumb|left|261x261px|Infographic explaining the history of ''Brontosaurus'' and ''Apatosaurus'' according to Tschopp ''et{{nbsp}}al.'' 2015]]
Almost all modern paleontologists agreed with Riggs that the two dinosaurs should be classified together in a single genus. According to the rules of the [[International Code of Zoological Nomenclature|ICZN]] (which governs the scientific names of animals), the name ''Apatosaurus'', having been published first, has priority as the official name; ''Brontosaurus'' was considered a [[synonym (taxonomy)|junior synonym]] and was therefore long discarded from formal use.<ref name="taylor10"/><ref name="endeavour"/><ref name="Dinosauria04"/><ref name="Macintosh"/> Despite this, at least one paleontologist{{snd}}[[Robert T. Bakker]]{{snd}}argued in the 1990s that ''A.{{nbsp}}ajax'' and ''A.{{nbsp}}excelsus'' were in fact sufficiently distinct for the latter to merit a separate genus.<ref name="Bakker98"/>

In 2015, Emanuel Tschopp, [[Octávio Mateus]], and Roger Benson released a paper on diplodocoid systematics, and proposed that genera could be diagnosed by thirteen differing characters, and species separated based on six. The minimum number for generic separation was chosen based on the fact that ''A.{{nbsp}}ajax'' and ''A.{{nbsp}}louisae'' differ in twelve characters, and ''Diplodocus carnegiei'' and ''D.{{nbsp}}hallorum'' differ in eleven characters. Thus, thirteen characters were chosen to validate the separation of genera. The six differing features for specific separation were chosen by counting the number of differing features in separate specimens generally agreed to represent one species, with only one differing character in ''D.{{nbsp}}carnegiei'' and ''A.{{nbsp}}louisae'', but five differing features in ''B.{{nbsp}}excelsus''. Therefore, Tschopp et{{nbsp}}al. argued that ''Apatosaurus excelsus'', originally classified as ''Brontosaurus excelsus'', had enough morphological differences from other species of ''Apatosaurus'' that it warranted being reclassified as a separate genus again. The conclusion was based on a comparison of 477 morphological characteristics across 81 different dinosaur individuals. Among the many notable differences are the wider{{snd}}and presumably stronger{{snd}}neck of ''Apatosaurus'' species compared to ''B.{{nbsp}}excelsus''. Other species previously assigned to ''Apatosaurus'', such as ''Elosaurus parvus'' and ''Eobrontosaurus yahnahpin'' were also reclassified as ''Brontosaurus''. Some features proposed to separate ''Brontosaurus'' from ''Apatosaurus'' include: posterior dorsal vertebrae with the centrum longer than wide; the scapula rear to the [[acromion|acromial edge]] and the distal blade being excavated; the acromial edge of the distal scapular blade bearing a rounded expansion; and the ratio of the proximodistal length to transverse breadth of the [[Talus bone|astragalus]] 0.55 or greater.<ref name=TMB2015/> Sauropod expert [[Michael D'Emic]] pointed out that the criteria chosen were to an extent arbitrary and that they would require abandoning the name ''Brontosaurus'' again if newer analyzes obtained different results.<ref name="d'emic 2015">D'Emic, M. 2015. [https://time.com/3810104/not-so-fast-brontosaurus/ "Not so fast, Brontosaurus"]. Time.com</ref> Mammal paleontologist [[Donald Prothero]] criticized the mass media reaction to this study as superficial and premature, concluding that he would keep "Brontosaurus" in quotes and not treat the name as a valid genus.<ref name="prothero 2015">Prothero, D. 2015. [http://www.skeptic.com/insight/is-brontosaurus-back-not-so-fast/ "Is "Brontosaurus" Back? Not So Fast!"]. Skeptic.com.</ref>

===Valid species===
[[File:AMNH Apatosaurus.jpg|thumb|Apatosaurine specimen AMNH 460 at the AMNH as re-mounted in 1995]]
[[File:FMNH Apatosaurus Pano.jpg|thumb|Apatosaurine mount (FMNH P25112) in the FMNH]]
[[File:Skeleton of Apatosaurus ajax.jpg|thumb|upright|Specimen NSMT-PV 20375, [[National Museum of Nature and Science]], which may be ''A.{{nbsp}}ajax'' or a new species]]
Many species of ''Apatosaurus'' have been designated from scant material. Marsh named as many species as he could, which resulted in many being based upon fragmentary and indistinguishable remains. In 2005, Paul Upchurch and colleagues published a study that analyzed the species and specimen relationships of ''Apatosaurus''. They found that ''A.{{nbsp}}louisae'' was the most basal species, followed by FMNH{{nbsp}}P25112, and then a [[polytomy]] of ''A.{{nbsp}}ajax'', ''A.{{nbsp}}parvus'', and ''A.{{nbsp}}excelsus''.<ref name="Upchurch05"/> Their analysis was revised and expanded with many additional diplodocid specimens in 2015, which resolved the relationships of ''Apatosaurus'' slightly differently, and also supported separating ''Brontosaurus'' from ''Apatosaurus''.<ref name=TMB2015/>

*'''''Apatosaurus ajax''''' was named by Marsh in 1877 after [[Ajax the Great|Ajax]], a hero from Greek mythology.<ref name="carpenter&currie92"/> Marsh designated the incomplete, juvenile skeleton YPM{{nbsp}}1860 as its [[holotype]]. The species is less studied than ''Brontosaurus'' and ''A.{{nbsp}}louisae'', especially because of the incomplete nature of the holotype. In 2005, many specimens in addition to the holotype were found assignable to ''A.{{nbsp}}ajax'', YPM{{nbsp}}1840, NSMT-PV 20375, YPM{{nbsp}}1861, and AMNH{{nbsp}}460. The specimens date from the late [[Kimmeridgian]] to the early [[Tithonian]] ages.<ref name="Upchurch05"/> In 2015, only the ''A.{{nbsp}}ajax'' holotype YPM{{nbsp}}1860 assigned to the species, with AMNH{{nbsp}}460 found either to be within ''Brontosaurus'', or potentially its own taxon. However, YPM{{nbsp}}1861 and NSMT-PV 20375 only differed in a few characteristics, and cannot be distinguished specifically or generically from ''A.{{nbsp}}ajax''. YPM{{nbsp}}1861 is the holotype of ''"Atlantosaurus" immanis'', which means it might be a junior synonym of ''A.{{nbsp}}ajax''.<ref name="TMB2015"/>
*'''''Apatosaurus louisae''''' was named by Holland in 1916, being first known from a partial skeleton that was found in Utah.<ref name="CM94"/> The holotype is CM{{nbsp}}3018, with referred specimens including CM{{nbsp}}3378, CM{{nbsp}}11162, and LACM{{nbsp}}52844. The former two consist of a vertebral column; the latter two consist of a skull and a nearly complete skeleton, respectively. ''Apatosaurus louisae'' specimens all come from the late Kimmeridgian of [[Dinosaur National Monument]].<ref name="Upchurch05"/> In 2015, Tschopp et{{nbsp}}al. found the type specimen of ''Apatosaurus laticollis'' to nest closely with CM{{nbsp}}3018, meaning the former is likely a junior synonym of ''A.{{nbsp}}louisae''.<ref name="TMB2015"/>

The [[cladogram]] below is the result of an analysis by Tschopp, Mateus, and Benson (2015). The authors analyzed most diplodocid type specimens separately to deduce which specimen belonged to which species and genus.<ref name="TMB2015"/>

{{clade| style=font-size:85%; line-height:85%
|label1=[[Apatosaurinae]]
|1={{clade
 |1={{clade
   |1=YPM 1840 ("''Atlantosaurus''" ''[[Atlantosaurus immanis|immanis]]'' type)
   |2=NSMT-PV 20375 }}
 |2={{clade
  |1=AMNH 460
  |2={{clade
   |label1='''''Apatosaurus'''''
   |1={{clade
    |label1='''''Apatosaurus ajax'''''
    |1=YPM 1860 (''Apatosaurus ajax'' type)
    |label2='''''Apatosaurus louisae'''''
    |2={{clade
     |1=CM 3018 (''Apatosaurus louisae'' type)
     |2=YPM 1861 (''Apatosaurus laticollis'' type) }} }}
   |label2=''[[Brontosaurus]]''
   |2={{clade
    |label1=''[[Brontosaurus excelsus]]''
    |1={{clade
      |1=YPM 1980 (''Brontosaurus excelsus'' type)
      |2=YPM 1981 (''Brontosaurus amplus'' type) }}
    |2={{clade
     |1=AMNH 5764 (''[[Amphicoelias altus]]'' type)
     |2={{clade
       |1=FMNH P25112
       |2={{clade
         |label1=''[[Brontosaurus yahnahpin]]''
         |1=Tate-001 (''Eobrontosaurus yahnahpin'' type)
         |label2=''[[Brontosaurus parvus]]''
         |2={{clade
           |1=CM 566 (''Elosaurus parvus'' type)
           |2={{clade
             |1=UM 15556
             |2=BYU 1252-18531
}} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }}

===Reassigned species===
[[File:Einstein Apatosaurus.jpg|thumb|The most complete specimen known to date, ''A.'' sp. BYU 17096 nicknamed "Einstein"]]
* ''Apatosaurus grandis'' was named in 1877 by Marsh in the article that described ''A.{{nbsp}}ajax''. It was briefly described, figured, and diagnosed.<ref name="gilmore36"/> Marsh later mentioned it was only provisionally assigned to ''Apatosaurus'' when he reassigned it to his new genus ''Morosaurus'' in 1878.<ref name="marsh1878"/> Since ''Morosaurus'' has been considered a synonym of ''Camarasaurus'', ''C.{{nbsp}}grandis'' is the oldest-named species of the latter genus.<ref name="foster-2007"/>
* ''Apatosaurus excelsus'' was the original type species of ''Brontosaurus'', first named by Marsh in 1879. Elmer Riggs reclassified ''Brontosaurus'' as a synonym of ''Apatosaurus'' in 1903, transferring the species ''B.{{nbsp}}excelsus'' to ''A.{{nbsp}}excelsus''. In 2015, Tschopp, Mateus, and Benson argued that the species was distinct enough to be placed in its own genus, so they reclassified it back into ''Brontosaurus''.<ref name="TMB2015"/>
* ''Apatosaurus parvus'', first described from a juvenile specimen as ''Elosaurus'' in 1902 by Peterson and Gilmore, was reassigned to ''Apatosaurus'' in 1994, and then to ''Brontosaurus'' in 2015. Many other, more mature specimens were assigned to it following the 2015 study.<ref name="TMB2015"/>
* ''Apatosaurus minimus'' was originally described as a specimen of ''Brontosaurus'' sp. in 1904 by Osborn. In 1917, Henry Mook named it as its own species, ''A.{{nbsp}}minimus'', for a pair of ilia and their sacrum.<ref name="gilmore36"/><ref name="taylor2012"/><ref name="taylor&wedel2012"/> In 2012, [[Mike P. Taylor]] and [[Matt J. Wedel]] published a short abstract describing the material of ''A. minimus'', finding it hard to place among either Diplodocoidea or Macronaria. While it was placed with ''[[Saltasaurus]]'' in a phylogenetic analysis, it was thought to represent instead some form with convergent features from many groups.<ref name="taylor&wedel2012"/> The study of Tschopp et{{nbsp}}al. did find that a camarasaurid position for the taxon was supported, but noted that the position of the taxon was found to be highly variable and there was no clearly more likely position.<ref name=TMB2015/>
* ''Apatosaurus alenquerensis'' was named in 1957 by [[Albert-Félix de Lapparent]] and Georges Zbyweski. It was based on post cranial material from Portugal. In 1990, this material was reassigned to ''Camarasaurus'', but in 1998 it was given its own genus, ''[[Lourinhasaurus]]''.<ref name="Upchurch05"/> This was further supported by the findings of Tschopp et{{nbsp}}al. in 2015, where ''Lourinhasaurus'' was found to be sister to ''Camarasaurus'' and other camarasaurids.<ref name=TMB2015/>
* ''Apatosaurus yahnahpin'' was named by James Filla and Patrick Redman in 1994. Bakker made ''A.{{nbsp}}yahnahpin'' the [[holotype|type]] species of a new genus, ''[[Eobrontosaurus]]'' in 1998,<ref name="Bakker98"/> and Tschopp reclassified it as ''[[Brontosaurus yahnahpin]]'' in 2015.<ref name="TMB2015"/>

==Classification==
[[File:Apatosaurus ajax scapulocoracoid.jpg|thumb|upright|Shoulder blade and [[coracoid]] of ''A. ajax'']]
''Apatosaurus'' is a member of the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Diplodocidae]], a [[cladistics|clade]] of gigantic [[sauropod]] [[dinosaur]]s. The family includes some of the longest creatures ever to walk the earth, including ''[[Diplodocus]]'', ''Supersaurus'', and ''[[Barosaurus]]''. ''Apatosaurus'' is sometimes classified in the subfamily [[Apatosaurinae]], which may also include ''[[Suuwassea]]'', ''Supersaurus'', and ''Brontosaurus''.<ref name=LHW07/><ref name="taylornaish05"/><ref name="harris06"/> [[Othniel Charles Marsh]] described ''Apatosaurus'' as allied to ''Atlantosaurus'' within the now-defunct group [[Atlantosauridae]].<ref name="riggs-1903"/><ref name="marsh1877"/> In 1878, Marsh raised his family to the rank of suborder, including ''Apatosaurus'', ''Atlantosaurus'', ''Morosaurus'' (=''Camarasaurus'') and ''Diplodocus''. He classified this group within Sauropoda, a group he erected in the same study. In 1903, [[Elmer S. Riggs]] said the name Sauropoda would be a junior synonym of earlier names; he grouped ''Apatosaurus'' within [[Opisthocoelia]].<ref name="riggs-1903"/> Sauropoda is still used as the group name.<ref name="Upchurch05"/> In 2011, John Whitlock published a study that placed ''Apatosaurus'' a more [[basal (phylogenetics)|basal]] diplodocid, sometimes less basal than ''Supersaurus''.<ref name="whitlock2011"/><ref name="gallinaetal2014"/>

[[Cladogram]] of the Diplodocidae after Tschopp, Mateus, and Benson (2015).<ref name="TMB2015"/>
{{clade| style=font-size:85%;line-height:85%
|label1=[[Diplodocidae]]
|1={{clade
   |1=''[[Amphicoelias altus]]''
   |2={{clade
      |label1=[[Apatosaurinae]]
      |1={{clade
         |1=Unnamed species
         |2={{clade
            |1={{clade
               |1='''''Apatosaurus ajax'''''
               |2='''''Apatosaurus louisae''''' }}
            |2={{clade
               |1=''[[Brontosaurus excelsus]]''
               |2={{clade
                  |1=''[[Brontosaurus yahnahpin]]''
                  |2=''[[Brontosaurus parvus]]'' }} }} }} }}
      |label2=[[Diplodocinae]]
      |2={{clade 
         |1=Unnamed species
         |2={{clade
            |1=''[[Tornieria africana]]''
            |2={{clade
               |1={{clade
                  |1=''[[Dinheirosaurus lourinhanensis]]''
                  |2=''[[Supersaurus vivianae]]'' }}
               |2={{clade
                  |1=''[[Leinkupal laticauda]]''
                  |2={{clade
                     |1=''[[Galeamopus hayi]]''
                     |2={{clade
                        |1={{clade
                           |1=''[[Diplodocus carnegii]]''
                           |2=''[[Diplodocus hallorum]]'' }}
                        |2={{clade
                           |1=''[[Kaatedocus siberi]]''
                           |2=''[[Barosaurus lentus]]''
}} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }}

==Paleobiology==
[[File:Infant Apatosaurus dinosaur tracks.jpg|thumb|Tracks of a juvenile]]
It was believed throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries that sauropods like ''Apatosaurus'' were too massive to support their own weight on dry land. It was theorized that they lived partly submerged in water, perhaps in swamps. More recent findings do not support this; sauropods are now thought to have been fully terrestrial animals.<ref name="Pierson"/> A study of diplodocid snouts showed that the square [[snout]], large proportion of pits, and fine, subparallel scratches of the teeth of ''Apatosaurus'' suggests it was a ground-height, nonselective [[browsing (herbivory)|browser]].<ref name="whitlock11"/> It may have eaten [[fern]]s, [[cycadeoid]]s, [[seed fern]]s, [[horsetail]]s, and [[algae]].<ref name="StevensParrish99"/> Stevens and Parish (2005) speculate that these sauropods fed from riverbanks on submerged water plants.<ref name="stevens05"/>

A 2015 study of the necks of ''Apatosaurus'' and ''Brontosaurus'' found many differences between them and other diplodocids, and that these variations may have shown that the necks of ''Apatosaurus'' and ''Brontosaurus'' were used for [[intraspecific combat]].<ref name="twne15"/> Various uses for the single claw on the forelimb of sauropods have been proposed. One suggestion is that they were used for defense, but their shape and size make this unlikely. It was also possible they were for feeding, but the most probable use for the claw was grasping objects such as tree trunks when rearing.<ref name="upchurchmanus"/>

Trackways of sauropods like ''Apatosaurus'' show that they may have had a range of around {{convert|25|-|40|km|mile|abbr=on}} per day, and that they could potentially have reached a top speed of {{convert|20|-|30|km|mile|abbr=on}} per hour.<ref name="fastovsky"/> The slow locomotion of sauropods may be due to their minimal muscling, or to recoil after strides.<ref name="sellers12"/> A trackway of a juvenile has led some to believe that they were capable of bipedalism, though this is disputed.<ref name="smithsonian"/><ref name="bipedalism"/>

===Neck posture===
{{further|Sauropod neck posture}}
[[File:Apatosaurus louisae skeletal by Bricksmashtv.png|thumb|left|Skeletal diagram of ''A. louisae'', showing the neck held high]]
Diplodocids like ''Apatosaurus'' are often portrayed with their necks held high up in the air, allowing them to browse on tall trees. Some studies state diplodocid necks were less flexible than previously believed, because the structure of the neck vertebrae would not have allowed the neck to bend far upward, and that sauropods like ''Apatosaurus'' were adapted to low browsing or ground feeding.<ref name="StevensParrish99"/><ref name="stevens05"/><ref name="Upchurch2000"/>

Other studies by Taylor find that all [[tetrapod]]s appear to hold their necks at the maximum possible vertical extension when in a normal, alert posture; they argue the same would hold true for sauropods barring any unknown, unique characteristics that set the soft tissue anatomy of their necks apart from that of other animals. ''Apatosaurus'', like ''Diplodocus'', would have held its neck angled upward with the head pointing downward in a resting posture.<ref name="taylor14"/><ref name="taylor09"/> Kent Stevens and Michael Parrish (1999 and 2005) state ''Apatosaurus'' had a great feeding range; its neck could bend into a U-shape laterally.<ref name="StevensParrish99"/> The neck's range of movement would have also allowed the head to feed at the level of the feet.<ref name="stevens05"/>

Matthew Cobley ''et al.'' (2013) dispute this, finding that large muscles and cartilage would have limited movement of the neck. They state the feeding ranges for sauropods like ''Diplodocus'' were smaller than previously believed, and the animals may have had to move their whole bodies around to better access areas where they could browse vegetation. As such, they might have spent more time foraging to meet their minimum energy needs.<ref name=Cobley/><ref name="ghose"/> The conclusions of Cobley ''et{{nbsp}}al.'' are disputed by Taylor, who analyzed the amount and positioning of intervertebral cartilage to determine the flexibility of the neck of ''Apatosaurus'' and ''Diplodocus''. He found that the neck of ''Apatosaurus'' was very flexible.<ref name="taylor14"/>

===Physiology===
{{further|Physiology of dinosaurs}}
[[File:Apatosaurus caudal vertebrae.png|thumb|Tail vertebrae of specimen FMNH P25112, showing pneumatic fossae (holes)]]

Given the large body mass and long neck of sauropods like ''Apatosaurus'', physiologists have encountered problems determining how these animals breathed. Beginning with the assumption that, like [[crocodilia]]ns, ''Apatosaurus'' did not have a [[thoracic diaphragm|diaphragm]], the [[dead space (physiology)|dead-space volume]] (the amount of unused air remaining in the mouth, trachea, and air tubes after each breath) has been estimated at {{convert|184|L|m3|order=flip|abbr=on}} for a {{convert|30|t|LT ST|abbr=on}} specimen. Paladino calculates its [[lung volumes|tidal volume]] (the amount of air moved in or out during a single breath) at {{convert|904|L|m3|order=flip|abbr=on}} with an avian respiratory system, {{convert|225|L|m3|order=flip|abbr=on}} if mammalian, and {{convert|19|L|m3|order=flip|abbr=on}} if reptilian.<ref name="paladinoetal1997"/>

On this basis, its respiratory system would likely have been [[parabronchi]], with multiple pulmonary air sacs as in [[avian lungs]], and a flow-through lung. An avian respiratory system would need a lung volume of about {{convert|600|L|m3|order=flip|abbr=on}} compared with a mammalian requirement of {{convert|2,950|L|m3|order=flip|abbr=on}}, which would exceed the space available. The overall thoracic volume of ''Apatosaurus'' has been estimated at {{convert|1,700|L|m3|order=flip|abbr=on}}, allowing for a {{convert|500|L|m3|order=flip|abbr=on}}, four-chambered heart and a {{convert|900|L|m3|order=flip|abbr=on}} lung capacity. That would allow about {{convert|300|L|m3|order=flip|abbr=on}} for the necessary tissue.<ref name="paladinoetal1997"/> Evidence for the avian system in ''Apatosaurus'' and other sauropods is also present in the [[Skeletal pneumaticity|pneumaticity]] of the vertebrae. Though this plays a role in reducing the weight of the animal, Wedel (2003) states they are also likely connected to air sacs, as in birds.<ref name="Wedel 2003"/>

James Spotila ''et al.'' (1991) concludes that the large body size of sauropods would have made them unable to maintain high metabolic rates because they would not have been able to release enough heat.<ref name="spotila91"/> They assumed sauropods had a reptilian respiratory system. Wedel says that an avian system would have allowed it to dump more heat.<ref name="Wedel 2003"/> Some scientists state that the heart would have had trouble sustaining sufficient blood pressure to oxygenate the brain.<ref name="Pierson"/> Others suggest that the near-horizontal posture of the head and neck would have eliminated the problem of supplying blood to the brain because it would not have been elevated.<ref name="StevensParrish99"/>

James Farlow (1987) calculates that an ''Apatosaurus''-sized dinosaur about {{convert|35|t|LT ST|abbr=on}} would have possessed {{convert|5.7|t|LT ST|abbr=on}} of fermentation contents, though he cautions that the regression equation being used is based on living mammals which are much smaller and physiologically different.<ref name="farlow87"/> Assuming ''Apatosaurus'' had an avian respiratory system and a reptilian resting-metabolism, Frank Paladino et{{nbsp}}al. (1997) estimate the animal would have needed to consume only about {{convert|262|L}} of water per day.<ref name="paladinoetal1997"/>

===Growth===
[[File:Baby Apatosaurus OMNH.jpg|thumb|left|Juvenile ''A.'' sp. mount, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History]]
A 1999 microscopic study of ''Apatosaurus'' and ''Brontosaurus'' bones concluded the animals grew rapidly when young and reached near-adult sizes in about 10{{nbsp}}years.<ref name=Curry99/> In 2008, a study on the growth rates of sauropods was published by Thomas Lehman and Holly Woodward. They said that by using growth lines and length-to-mass ratios, ''Apatosaurus'' would have grown to 25{{nbsp}}t (25 long tons; 28 short tons) in 15{{nbsp}}years, with growth peaking at {{convert|5000|kg|abbr=on|-2}} in a single year. An alternative method, using limb length and body mass, found ''Apatosaurus'' grew {{convert|520|kg|lb|abbr=on}} per year, and reached its full mass before it was about 70{{nbsp}}years old.<ref name="lehman&woodward"/> These estimates have been called unreliable because the calculation methods are not sound; old growth lines would have been obliterated by bone remodeling.<ref name="griebeler"/> One of the first identified growth factors of ''Apatosaurus'' was the number of sacral vertebrae, which increased to five by the time of the creature's maturity. This was first noted in 1903 and again in 1936.<ref name="gilmore36"/>

Long-bone histology enables researchers to estimate the age that a specific individual reached. A study by Eva Griebeler et{{nbsp}}al. (2013) examined long-bone histological data and concluded the ''Apatosaurus'' sp.{{nbsp}}SMA{{nbsp}}0014 weighed {{convert|20206|kg|ST|1|abbr=on}}, reached sexual maturity at 21{{nbsp}}years, and died aged 28. The same growth model indicated ''Apatosaurus'' sp.{{nbsp}}BYU 601–17328 weighed {{convert|18178|kg|ST|1|abbr=on}}, reached sexual maturity at 19{{nbsp}}years, and died aged 31.<ref name="griebeler"/>

====Juveniles====
Compared with most sauropods, a relatively large amount of juvenile material is known from ''Apatosaurus''. Multiple specimens in the OMNH are from juveniles of an undetermined species of ''Apatosaurus''; this material includes partial shoulder and pelvic girdles, some vertebrae, and limb bones. OMNH juvenile material is from at least two different age groups and based on overlapping bones likely comes from more than three individuals. The specimens exhibit features that distinguish ''Apatosaurus'' from its relatives, and thus likely belong to the genus.<ref name="Upchurch05"/><ref name="carpenter&mcintosh94"/> Juvenile sauropods tend to have proportionally shorter necks and tails, and a more pronounced forelimb-hindlimb disparity than found in adult sauropods.<ref name="svpowbabyapato"/>

===Tail===
[[File:Dinosaurs in Their Time- Jurassic Era Room (2705542612).jpg|thumb|right|Carnegie ''A. louisae'' mount (upper right), showing the long, tapering tail]]
The estimated tail length of ''Apatosaurus'' is approximately 54% of the total body length, with the tail sometimes hypothesized to be capable of functioning like a very long, tapering [[bullwhip]].<ref name=Baron/> An article published in 1997 reported research of the mechanics of ''Apatosaurus'' tails through computer simulation by [[Nathan Myhrvold]] and paleontologist [[Philip J. Currie]]. This computer modeling suggested diplodocids were capable of producing a whiplike cracking sound of over 200 [[decibel]]s, comparable to the volume of a cannon being fired.<ref name="myhrvold"/>

A pathology has been identified on the tail of ''Apatosaurus'', caused by a growth defect. Two caudal vertebrae are seamlessly fused along the entire articulating surface of the bone, including the arches of the neural spines. This defect might have been caused by the lack or inhibition of the substance that forms intervertebral disks or joints.<ref name="lovelace14"/> It has been proposed that the whips could have been used in combat and defense, but the tails of diplodocids were quite light and narrow compared to ''[[Shunosaurus]]'' and [[mamenchisaurid]]s, and thus to injure another animal with the tail would severely injure the tail itself.<ref name="myhrvold">{{cite journal|last1=Myhrvold|first1=N.P.|last2=Currie|first2=P.J.|title=Supersonic sauropods? Tail dynamics in the diplodocids|journal=Paleobiology|date=1997|volume=23|issue=4|pages=393–409|jstor=2401127|doi=10.1017/S0094837300019801|bibcode=1997Pbio...23..393M |s2cid=83696153 |url=http://doc.rero.ch/record/15579/files/PAL_E1438.pdf }}</ref> More recently, Baron (2020) considers the use of the tail as a bullwhip unlikely because of the potentially catastrophic muscle and skeletal damage such speeds could cause on the large and heavy tail. Instead, he proposes that the tails might have been used as a tactile organ to keep in touch with the individuals behind and on the sides in a group while migrating, which could have augmented cohesion and allowed communication among individuals while limiting more energetically demanding activities like stopping to search for dispersed individuals, turning to visually check on individuals behind, or communicating vocally.<ref name=Baron>{{Cite journal |last=Baron |first=Matthew G. |date=October 3, 2021 |title=Tactile tails: a new hypothesis for the function of the elongate tails of diplodocid sauropods |journal=Historical Biology |volume=33 |issue=10 |pages=2057–2066 |doi=10.1080/08912963.2020.1769092 |bibcode=2021HBio...33.2057B |s2cid=219762797 |issn=0891-2963}}</ref>

==Paleoecology==
[[File:Clash of Titans Saurophaganax and Apatosaurus.jpg|thumb|left|upright|''[[Allosaurus]]'' and ''A.'' sp., [[Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History]]]]
The [[Morrison Formation]] is a sequence of shallow marine and alluvial sediments which, according to [[radiometric dating]], dates from between 156.3{{nbsp}}[[Year#Abbreviations yr and ya|mya]] at its base,<ref name=TCR06/> and 146.8{{nbsp}}mya at the top,<ref name=SAB98/> placing it in the late [[Oxfordian stage|Oxfordian]], [[Kimmeridgian]], and early [[Tithonian]] [[faunal stages|stages]] of the Late Jurassic period. This formation is interpreted as originating in a locally [[semiarid]] environment with distinct wet and dry seasons. The Morrison Basin, where dinosaurs lived, stretched from New Mexico to Alberta and Saskatchewan; it was formed when the precursors to the [[Front Range]] of the Rocky Mountains started pushing up to the west. The deposits from their east-facing drainage basins were carried by streams and rivers and deposited in swampy lowlands, lakes, river channels, and floodplains.<ref name=DAR89/> This formation is similar in age to the [[Lourinhã Formation]] in Portugal and the [[Tendaguru Formation]] in Tanzania.<ref name=OM06/>

''Apatosaurus'' was the second most common sauropod in the Morrison Formation ecosystem, after ''Camarasaurus''.<ref name="foster-2007"/><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Foster|first1=John R.|last2=Peterson|first2=Joseph E.|date=September 1, 2016|title=First report of Apatosaurus (Diplodocidae: Apatosaurinae) from the Cleveland-Lloyd Quarry in the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of Utah: Abundance, distribution, paleoecology, and taphonomy of an endemic North American sauropod clade|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1871174X15000906|journal=Palaeoworld|language=en|volume=25|issue=3|pages=431–443|doi=10.1016/j.palwor.2015.11.006|issn=1871-174X|url-access=subscription}}</ref> ''Apatosaurus'' may have been more solitary than other Morrison Formation dinosaurs.<ref name=DBBM80/> Fossils of the genus have only been found in the upper levels of the formation. Those of ''Apatosaurus ajax'' are known exclusively from the upper [[Brushy Basin Member]], about 152–151 mya. ''A.{{nbsp}}louisae'' fossils are rare, known only from one site in the upper Brushy Basin Member; they date to the late Kimmeridgian stage, about 151{{nbsp}}mya. Additional ''Apatosaurus'' remains are known from similarly aged or slightly younger rocks, but they have not been identified as any particular species,<ref name=turner1999/> and thus may instead belong to ''Brontosaurus''.<ref name=TMB2015/>

[[File:Apatosaurus ischium Dinosaur Journey Museum.jpg|thumb|Ischium of an ''Apatosaurus'' showing bite marks from a large theropod]]
The Morrison Formation records a time when the local environment was dominated by gigantic sauropod dinosaurs.<ref name="foster-2007"/> Dinosaurs known from the Morrison Formation include the theropods ''[[Allosaurus]]'', ''[[Ceratosaurus]]'', ''[[Ornitholestes]]'', and ''[[Torvosaurus]]''; the sauropods ''[[Brontosaurus]]'', ''[[Brachiosaurus]]'', ''Camarasaurus'', and ''[[Diplodocus]]''; and the [[ornithischia]]ns ''[[Camptosaurus]]'', ''[[Dryosaurus]]'', and ''[[Stegosaurus]]''.<ref name=DJCetal06/> ''Apatosaurus'' is commonly found at the same sites as ''Allosaurus'', ''Camarasaurus'', ''Diplodocus'', and ''Stegosaurus''.<ref name=DBBM80/> ''Allosaurus'' accounted for 70–75% of theropod specimens and was at the top [[trophic level]] of the Morrison food web.<ref name=JRF03a/> Many of the dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation are of the same genera as those seen in Portuguese rocks of the [[Lourinhã Formation]]{{snd}}mainly ''Allosaurus'', ''Ceratosaurus'', and ''Torvosaurus''{{snd}}or have a close counterpart{{snd}}''Brachiosaurus'' and ''[[Lusotitan]]'', ''Camptosaurus'' and ''[[Draconyx]]'', and ''Apatosaurus'' and ''[[Dinheirosaurus]]''.<ref name=OM06/> Other vertebrates that are known to have shared this paleo-environment include [[actinopterygii|ray-finned fishes]], frogs, [[salamander]]s, turtles, [[sphenodontia|sphenodonts]], lizards, terrestrial and aquatic [[crocodylomorpha|crocodylomorphs]], and several species of [[pterosaur]]. Shells of [[bivalve]]s and aquatic snails are also common. The flora of the period has been evidenced in fossils of green algae, fungi, mosses, [[equisetum|horsetails]], [[cycad]]s, [[ginkgo]]es, and several families of conifers. Vegetation varied from river-lining forests of [[tree fern]]s with fern [[understory]] ([[gallery forest]]s), to fern [[savanna]]s with occasional trees such as the ''[[Araucaria]]''-like conifer ''[[Brachyphyllum]]''.<ref name=KC06/>

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<ref name="Cobley">{{cite journal |title=Inter-Vertebral Flexibility of the Ostrich Neck: Implications for Estimating Sauropod Neck Flexibility |last1=Cobley |first1=M.J. |last2=Rayfield |first2=E.J. |last3=Barrett |first3=P.M. |journal=PLOS ONE |year=2013 |volume=8 |issue=8 |article-number=e72187 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0072187 |pmid=23967284 |pmc=3743800|bibcode=2013PLoSO...872187C |doi-access=free }}</ref>

<ref name="ghose">{{cite web |url=http://www.livescience.com/38895-sauropods-had-stiff-necks.html |title=Ouch! Long-Necked Dinosaurs Had Stiff Necks |publisher=livescience.com |date=August 15, 2013 |access-date=January 31, 2015 |last1=Ghose |first1=T.}}</ref>

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<ref name="taylor09">{{cite journal |last1=Taylor |first1=M.P. |last2=Wedel |first2=M.J. |last3=Naish |first3=D. |journal=Acta Palaeontologica Polonica |issue=2 |doi=10.4202/app.2009.0007 |url=http://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app54/app54-213.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app54/app54-213.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |title=Head and neck posture in sauropod dinosaurs inferred from extant animals |year=2009 |volume=54 |pages=213–220|s2cid=7582320 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

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<ref name="spotila91">{{cite journal |title=Hot and cold running dinosaurs. Metabolism, body temperature, and migration |last1=Spotila |first1=J.R. |last2=O'Connor |first2=M.P. |last3=Dodson |first3=P.R. |last4=Paladino |first4=F.V. |journal=Modern Geology |year=1991 |volume=16 |pages=203–227}}</ref>

<ref name="Wedel 2003">{{cite journal |title=Vertebral Pneumaticity, Air Sacs, and the Physiology of Sauropod Dinosaurs |last=Wedel |first=M.J. |journal=Paleobiology |jstor=4096832 |year=2003 |volume=29 |issue=2 |pages=243–255 |doi=10.1666/0094-8373(2003)029<0243:vpasat>2.0.co;2|bibcode=2003Pbio...29..243W |s2cid=46619244 |url=http://doc.rero.ch/record/14872/files/PAL_E2010.pdf }}</ref>

<ref name="Pierson">{{cite journal |pmid=19558740 |title=The Physiology of Dinosaurs: Circulatory and Respiratory Function in the Largest Animals Ever to Walk the Earth |last=Pierson |first=D.J. |journal=Respiratory Care |year=2009 |volume=54 |issue=7 |pages=887–911 |doi=10.4187/002013209793800286|doi-broken-date=July 1, 2025 }}</ref>

<ref name="Curry99">{{cite journal |title=Ontogenetic histology of ''Apatosaurus'' (Dinosauria: Sauropoda): new insights on growth rates and longevity |last=Curry |first=K.A. |author-link=Kristina Curry Rogers |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |jstor=4524036 |year=1999 |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=654–665 |doi=10.1080/02724634.1999.10011179|bibcode=1999JVPal..19..654C }}</ref>

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<ref name="OM06">{{cite book |chapter=Jurassic dinosaurs from the Morrison Formation (USA), the Lourinhã and Alcobaça Formations (Portugal), and the Tendaguru Beds (Tanzania): A comparison |title=Paleontology and Geology of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation |last=Mateus |first=O. |editor-last=Foster |editor-first=John R. |editor2-last=Lucas |editor2-first=Spencer G. |publisher=New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin |volume=36 |year=2006 |pages=223–231}}</ref>

<ref name="KC06">{{cite book |chapter=Biggest of the big: a critical re-evaluation of the mega-sauropod ''Amphicoelias fragillimus'' |editor-last=Foster |editor-first=John R. |editor2-last=Lucas |editor2-first=Spencer G. |title=Paleontology and Geology of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation |last=Carpenter |first=K. |author-link=Kenneth Carpenter |publisher=New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin |volume=36 |year=2006 |pages=131–138}}</ref>

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<ref name="lovelace14">{{cite journal |last=Lovelace |first=D.M. |year=2014 |title=Developmental Failure of Segmentation in a Caudal Vertebra of ''Apatosaurus'' (Sauropoda) |journal=The Anatomical Record |volume=297 |issue=7 |pages=1262–1269 |doi=10.1002/ar.22887 |pmid=24532488|s2cid=19044152 }}</ref>

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<ref name="bates&falkingham2015">{{cite journal |title=Downsizing a giant: re-evaluating ''Dreadnoughtus'' body mass |last1=Bates |first1=K.T. |journal=Biology Letters |year=2015 |last2=Falkingham |first2=P.L. |last3=Macaulay |first3=S. |last4=Brassey |first4=C. |last5=Maidment |first5=S.C.R. |issn=1744-957X |pmid=26063751 |pmc=4528471 |doi=10.1098/rsbl.2015.0215 |doi-access=free |volume=11 |issue=6 |article-number=20150215}}</ref>

<ref name="twne15">{{cite journal |title=Were the necks of ''Apatosaurus'' and ''Brontosaurus'' adapted for combat? |last1=Taylor |first1=M.P. |author-link=Michael P. Taylor |last2=Wedel |first2=M.J. |last3=Naish |first3=Darren |last4=Engh |first4=B. |journal=PeerJ PrePrints |year=2015 |volume=3 |pages=e1663 |doi=10.7287/peerj.preprints.1347v1|doi-access=free }}</ref>

<ref name="svpowbabyapato">{{cite web |last=Wedel |first=M. |year=2013 |title=Get down, get fuzzy, speculative juvenile Apatosaurus! |url=http://svpow.com/2013/02/27/get-down-get-fuzzy-speculative-juvenile-apatosaurus/ |publisher=SVPOW}}</ref>

<ref name="smithsonian">{{cite web |last=Black|first=R. |title=Did Wee Little Sauropods Stand Up to Run? |publisher=Smithsonian.com |url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/did-wee-little-sauropods-stand-up-to-run-85531831/?no-ist |date=November 2, 2010 |access-date=September 20, 2015}}</ref>

<ref name="bipedalism">{{cite web |title=Tracks of a running bipedal baby brontosaur? Baby sauropod footprints discovered in Colorado |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101101083150.htm |date=November 1, 2010 |access-date=September 20, 2015 |publisher=Science Daily (The Geological Society of America)}}</ref>

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<ref name="SH05">{{cite web |url=http://dml.cmnh.org/2005Feb/msg00289.html |title="Eobrontosaurus" is not Camarasaurus |publisher=Dinosaur Mailing List |date=February 13, 2005 |last=Hartman |first=S.}}</ref> -->
}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Apatosaurus}}

* {{cite web |last=Hartman |first=S. |year=2013 |title=Sauropods and kin |url=http://skeletaldrawing.com/sauropods-and-kin/ |publisher=Scott Hartman's Skeletal Drawings}}
* Batuman, Elif. [http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/apatosaurus-brontosaurus-rising Brontosaurus Rising] (April 2015), ''[[The New Yorker]]''
* Krystek, Lee. [http://www.unmuseum.org/dinobront.htm "Whatever Happened to the Brontosaurus?"] UnMuseum (Museum of Unnatural Mystery), 2002.
* Taylor, Mike. [http://www.miketaylor.org.uk/dino/faq/s-class/bronto/ "Why is 'Brontosaurus' now called ''Apatosaurus''?"] MikeTaylor.org.uk, June 28, 2004.

{{Sauropodomorpha|D.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q14326}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|Dinosaurs|United States}}

[[Category:Diplodocidae]]
[[Category:Dinosaur genera]]
[[Category:Kimmeridgian dinosaurs]]
[[Category:Morrison Formation]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs of the United States]]
[[Category:Fossil taxa described in 1877]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Othniel Charles Marsh]]