Diplodocus: Complete Profile & 7 Characteristics Of The Dinosaur

The Diplodocus was one of the largest dinosaurs of the Jurassic period. You can recognize this sauropod by its long neck and even longer, whip-like tail. We have everything you need to know, characteristics, and a profile of this prehistoric giant.

The Diplodocus is an extinct reptile from prehistoric times and is one of the most famous long-necked dinosaurs of our time. It grew to a length of 27 meters, a height of over four meters, and weighed up to 16 tons.

Its size makes it an impressive dinosaur, a popular exhibit in museums, and a frequent motif in film and television.

Interesting facts about the Diplodocus

In this chapter, we reveal interesting facts about the group of herbivorous dinosaurs and the various long-necked species (sauropods). You will learn which dinosaurs the Diplodocus was related to, where it was discovered, and what its name means.

The herbivorous group

Herbivores are animals that feed mainly on plants. They include reptiles, birds, and fish, as well as mammals and insects. The Diplodocus is one of the extinct herbivorous reptiles.

In addition to the Diplodocus, there were many other herbivores among the dinosaurs. Today, the sauropods, the long-necked giants of prehistoric times, are best known for this way of life. They belong to the so-called lizard-hipped dinosaurs (Saurischia), which also included theropods such as the Tyrannosaurus.

The second group of dinosaurs, the bird-hipped dinosaurs (Ornithischia), consisted mainly of herbivores. Among them are representatives such as the Triceratops and Stegosaurus. Other well-known herbivores are:

• Brachiosaurus
• Ankylosaurus
• Iguanodon
• Brontosaurus
• Parasaurolophus

Sauropods – The giants of prehistoric times

Sauropod species belong to the Sauropodomorpha group with lizard pelvises. They lived on Earth for 162 million years, from the Triassic period to the end of the Cretaceous period.

Sauropods are characterized by their size, long necks, four-legged gait, small heads, and plant-based diet. They include over 100 different genera in various sizes and shapes.

Some specimens were broader, others slimmer, some had a distinctive skull shape, special teeth, or prominent spines on their backs.

The proportions of the neck and tail could also vary. The Diplodocus, for example, had a particularly long tail that was about twice the length of its neck. It also had shorter front legs than hind legs, which distinguished it from other sauropods such as the brachiosaurus.

• Animal group: Sauropods
• Distribution: Worldwide
• Period: Late Triassic to Late Cretaceous (228 to 66 million years ago)
• Diet: Herbivorous (plant-eating)
• Well-known examples: Brachiosaurus, Brontosaurus, Apatosaurus, Patagotitan, Argentinosaurus, Amargasaurus, Alamosaurus

Relatives of Diplodocus

The Diplodocus belongs to the Diplodocidae family. This family is divided into Apatosaurinae and Diplodocinae. Relatives of the dinosaur include the Brontosaurus, Supersaurus, Tornieria, and Barosaurus.

The Brontosaurus was smaller than the Diplodocus, measuring up to 22 meters in length and weighing 30 tons. The Supersaurus was larger, reaching a length of 35 meters and weighing between 35 and 40 tons.

The Diplodocus is also distantly related to the Amargasaurus, a sauropod with particularly long spinous processes, which are still the subject of speculation today. Either they protruded from the neck and back as long spikes, were held together like a sail by skin, or were completely covered by skin.

Discovery and locations where found

The first Diplodocus fossils were discovered by Samuel Wendell Williston in 1878 on his first expedition on behalf of paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh. The site of the discovery was the Morrison Formation in the USA, which has yielded numerous dinosaur species to date.

Together with expedition leader Benjamin Franklin Mudge, Williston discovered Allosaurus fossils in addition to the Diplodocus. Between 1878 and 1924, several species of Diplodocus were found. Diplodocus longus was the first species to be named.

Since then, further skeletons have been found in the Morrison Formation in Colorado, Utah, Montana, and Wyoming. An almost complete skeleton of Diplodocus carnegii now exists, which is very rare in dinosaur research. It is exhibited in museums around the world, for example in the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh (USA).

Meaning of the name

The name “Diplodocus” means “double beam.” Othniel Charles Marsh chose it because of the chevron bones located in the middle of the tail on the underside. These bones have a special shape with two beams, after which the Diplodocus was named. You can imagine them as a Y.

The bones probably served to support the weight of the long tail and prevent it from bending and damaging tissue. Chevron bones (also known as spar bones) are found not only in dinosaurs, but also in modern reptiles and whales.

Characteristics of the Diplodocus

Below you will find the most important characteristics of the Diplodocus. These include the classification of this prehistoric lizard, its size, and way of life. We will also tell you when the dinosaur lived, what it ate, and how it moved.

Classification of the genus

To date, there are four recognized species of the genus Diplodocus: D. longus, D. carnegii, D. hayi, and D. hallorum. Othniel Charles Marsh named another species called D. lacustris, but researchers now consider it to be a juvenile of the known species.

The genus belongs to the Diplodocidae family. This in turn can be assigned to the sub-group of sauropods and the taxon Sauropodomorpha. Taxa are biological units to which animals are assigned according to certain criteria. This clarifies relationships and distinguishes groups from one another.

The four-legged herbivores, often referred to as “long-necked dinosaurs” by children, belonged to the sauropodomorphs. They were the largest land vertebrates that ever lived on Earth.

When did the Diplodocus live?

Like all dinosaurs, this prehistoric giant lived during the Mesozoic era. This is divided into the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods.

The Diplodocidae, named after their most famous representative, Diplodocus, reached their greatest diversity during the Jurassic period. They were particularly common in North America and South Africa at that time.

The Diplodocus lived during the Jurassic period – more precisely, in the Late Jurassic between 157.3 and 145 million years ago. These periods of Earth’s history are known as the Kimmeridgian and Tithonian stages.

By the Cretaceous period, Diplodocids had already become extinct. Their ecological niches were taken over by titanosaurs, which first appeared 152.1 million years ago and survived until the extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.

Habitat

The Diplodocus lived where the Morrison Formation is located in the USA today. During the Jurassic period, this area was semi-arid with alternating rainy and dry seasons.

At the same time, several theropods (carnivorous bipeds) lived there, including the Allosaurus, which grew up to 12 meters long. Below you will find all the important information about the habitat at a glance.

Dinosaurs:

• Theropods: Torvosaurus, Ceratosaurus, Ornitholestes, Koparion, Stokesosaurus
• Sauropods: Apatosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Camarasaurus
• Herbivores: Stegosaurus, Camptosaurus, Dryosaurus, Gargoyleosaurus, Nanosaurus

Other creatures:

• Pterosaurs
• Ancestors of crocodiles, turtles, salamanders, and frogs
• Bony fish, water snails, mussels

Plant life:

• Mosses, algae, ginkgo trees, cycads, horsetails

Size and weight

The Diplodocus was 27 meters long and over four meters high. The dinosaur’s neck alone accounted for six meters of its total length. Its tail, which tapers towards the rear, looks like a whip and is almost twice as long as its neck.

According to recent studies, it weighed between 10 and 16 tons. Estimates also ranged between 11.5 and 12.7 tons.

Body structure and speed

A special feature of the Diplodocus and its close relatives is that the animals' front legs were slightly shorter than their hind legs. Their posture was horizontal and slightly bent forward.

In earlier depictions, the Diplodocus is still shown with an upright neck. However, several researchers have concluded that sauropods did not carry their heads much higher than their shoulders.

In addition, the oxygen supply to the brain would very likely have been insufficient in a permanently upright position. To eat from tall trees, the dinosaur could raise its body and stretch its head toward the leaves with its long neck.

The legs were strong and sturdy to support the colossal weight of the animal. Diplodocids were also more slender than some other sauropods such as brachiosaurs and titanosaurs. Another characteristic feature are the forked spines on their necks and backs, which protruded from the skin.

The Diplodocus may have been able to swing its tail or make loud noises to defend itself or scare off enemies. However, there is no evidence of this behavior yet.

Way of life and diet

Compared to other sauropods, the Diplodocus had unusual teeth. They were shaped like narrow pins and blunt at the tip. In addition, the fossil remains show signs of wear on the sides of the teeth. This means that the Diplodocus probably stripped soft leaves from branches.

This distinguished it from brachiosaurs, for example, which had more spatula-shaped teeth and were able to tear off tough plants and needles.

The Diplodocus was able to graze at heights of up to ten meters above the ground. It stood on its hind legs and probably used its tail for support.

Another theory suggests that the dinosaur may also have fed on aquatic plants. Its shorter front legs and the structure of its teeth would have been well suited for this.

Lebenserwartung

Studies of several sauropods have shown that young animals reached sexual maturity at an early age. However, some researchers believe that the animals' metabolism slowed down as they grew larger. This means that they probably grew less quickly in old age than in their younger years.

For the long-necked titanosaur Janenschia, sexual maturity was calculated at around 11 years, maximum size at 26 years, and death at 38 years.

Recent research suggests that the life expectancy of large dinosaurs was around 70 years. However, scientific estimates vary between 50 and 120 years. It must be taken into account that the prehistoric giants most likely died earlier due to harsh living conditions.

Profile: The Diplodocus

In the following profile, we have summarized all the important characteristics of the Diplodocus for you. This includes its classification, when it lived, and how large it grew. Below you will find a comparison with the Brachiosaurus.

• Name of the genus: Diplodocus (“double beam”)
• Known species: D. longus, D. carnegii, D. hayi, D. hallorum
• Family: Diplodocidae
• Subgroup: Sauropods
• Group: Sauropodomorpha
• Order: Saurischia
• Period: Jurassic (Late Jurassic, 157.3–145 million years ago)
• Habitat: North America
• Diet: Herbivore
• Physical characteristics: Enormous size, long neck, small head, shorter front legs than hind legs, long whip-like tail, pin-shaped teeth
• Length: 27 meters
• Height: 10 meters (over 4 meters)
• Weight: 10–16 tons
• Speed: Walking 2–4 km/h, running up to 25 km/h

Diplodocus versus Brachiosaurus

The Diplodocus and the Brachiosaurus both lived during the Late Jurassic period in what is now North America. During the Jurassic period, the supercontinent Pangaea broke apart and the two large continents Laurasia and Gondwana were formed. The continents we know today only broke apart after that.

To help you better understand the size difference between these two giants, we have compared them and will reveal which one was stronger.

The biggest visual difference between the two is that the Diplodocus had a significantly longer tail. The Brachiosaurus also had significantly longer front legs. In addition, the Brachiosaurus had an upward-curving head with a short snout, while the Diplodocus had a rather flat and elongated skull.

Who was stronger?

In terms of body size, the two sauropods were similar. However, the Brachiosaurus was heavier and its shoulder height was higher than that of the Diplodocus due to its longer front legs, making it appear larger overall.

The Diplodocus was also more slender, but had a very long tail that it could use like a whip. The Brachiosaurus was more massive overall and probably stronger. However, it is questionable whether the Diplodocus did not appear more frightening to enemies because of its tail.

The Diplodocus in popular culture

Diplodocus was long considered the longest dinosaur, and many fossils have been found. This makes it one of the most popular prehistoric reptiles in popular culture.

It is known from museums, films and series, documentaries, as a toy figure, coloring picture, or motif for fan merchandise. However, scientific facts according to today’s standards and the depiction of the dinosaur sometimes diverge.

Reconstructions in the 20th century

When the Diplodocus was not as well researched as it is today, there were several theories about its posture. There were drawings from the early 20th century that showed it crawling like a lizard.

Others positioned its head high up with its neck stretched out, sometimes in a snake-like S-shape. In some pictures, the tail hung down to the ground and was dragged behind.

Today, we know that the middle part of the tail was reinforced with bones so that it did not have to be dragged behind. It is also known that the Diplodocus had a more horizontal posture, meaning that its neck was virtually parallel to the ground.

The Diplodocus in “ARK: Survival Evolved”

In the adventure video game “ARK: Survival Evolved” (2017), players encounter a prehistoric world with creatures from different eras. In addition to dinosaurs from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods, extinct animals such as the Titanoboa, the Megalodon or the saber-toothed tiger from the Ice Age can be tamed and ridden.

The game is loosely based on scientific facts, but also likes to mix these with fantastical elements. In most cases, a distinction is made by the species name. In the case of the Diplodocus, for example, the fictional species Diplodocus insulaprincep was introduced into the game.

Due to its peaceful nature, players can easily tame, breed, and ride it. Another video game that features the dinosaur is Jurassic World Evolution.

Extinction of the dinosaur

The Diplodocus died out around 145 million years ago. It roamed the Earth for a total of 12.3 million years, at the same time as the Brachiosaurus and Brontosaurus. Since the sauropods died out at the same time, living conditions for the giant lizards must have become more difficult.

This may have been due to changing environmental conditions. Minor fluctuations that affected the plant world could have had a significant impact on herbivores. Evolutionary processes such as these and the extinction of entire species are part of the cycle of life and are often unavoidable.

The Diplodocus had already become extinct long before the mass extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. It was probably caused by a giant meteorite and its consequences for the environment and climate.

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