How It Works-Book Of Dinosaurs

Take a look inside this lofty member of the dino family

Anatomy of a titan

Brachiosaurus was a genus of

sauropod dinosaur that roamed the

Earth during the Late Jurassic period

(circa 155-140 million years ago). They are

characterised, like many sauropods of the time,

by their huge necks and comparatively tiny

skulls and brains. Currently only one species

has been officially confirmed – B altithorax –

though others have been suggested.

Interestingly, like other sauropods, these

creatures – despite weighing an estimated 60

tons and measuring up to 30 metres (98 feet)

Three times longer and two times taller than a double-decker bus,

Brachiosaurus truly was a terrestrial titan of epic proportions

The giant Brachiosaurus

long – were actually colossal vegetarians, with

their diet comprising solely foliage.

Their evolution of such a long neck (see ‘The

high life’ boxout for more details) seems to be

intrinsically linked to their diet, with the

elevated head position enabling them to access

leaves unavailable to shorter species.

This dominion over a food source is also a

major factor behind their generally massive

proportions, with millions of years of

domination allowing them to grow to sizes far

in excess of rival creatures from the same era.

The epic size of Brachiosaurus was also its

primary form of defence when it came to

predators. Once fully grown, their legs would

have resembled tree trunks and these –

partnered with a heavy, stocky tail – made

them extremely difficult to tackle.

While their size and domination granted

many benefits, it was also a contributor to

Brachiosaurus’s eventual demise, with

resource depletion and climate change

leading to their background extinction

around 145 million years ago.

Tail

A long, stiff tail acted as a

counterbalance to the

sauropod’s long neck, especially

when it was brought down

towards the horizontal. While

combat was rare, the tail could

also be used as a weapon

Torso

The torso was massive and

accounted for up to 70 per

cent of the creature’s total

volume. Its huge organs were

protected by a robust ribcage

Front legs

The creature’s front,

pillar-like legs were

longer than those at the

rear, granting a sloping

front-to-back posture.

Each front leg’s

thighbone measured

1.8m (6ft) on an adult

Rear legs

The shorter back legs

helped to support the

massive torso and also

granted stability at speed

Skin

Brachiosaurus’s skin was

leathery and tougher around

limb joints. Its colour varied

depending on age and species

Heart

Due to its immense size this dinosaur

needed a large, powerful heart to

pump blood to its brain and around

its body. Estimates place the

creature’s blood pressure at three

to four times that of humans

Lungs

Cavernous lungs

were needed to take

in plenty of oxygen.

A series of air sacs,

located in neck and

torso bones, were

connected to the lung

system and helped

reduce the animal’s

overall density

DINOSAURS

Brachiosaurus