1905 illustration.

Brontosaurus (pronounced /ˈbɹɒn.təˌsɔː.ɹəs/), meaning "thunder lizard" (from the Greek brontē/βροντη meaning 'thunder' and sauros/σαυρος meaning 'lizard'), is a deprecated genus of sauropod dinosaurs. The species Brontosaurus excelsus was named by its discoverer Othniel Charles Marsh, in 1879 and the designation persisted as an official term in the general public's literature until at least 1974, though it was recognized as a species of a previously-named genus, Apatosaurus, in 1903. Brontosaurus is a deprecated genus of sauropod dinosaurs. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Articles with similar titles include the NATO phonetic alphabet, which has also informally been called the “International Phonetic Alphabet”. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words, see IPA chart for English. ... Look up Deprecation in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ... Families Brachiosauridae Camarasauridae Cetiosauridae Diplodocidae Euhelopodidae Nemegtosauridae Titanosauridae Vulcanodontidae Sauropoda, the sauropods, are a suborder or infraorder of the saurischian (lizard-hipped) dinosaurs. ... Orders Saurischia    Sauropodomorpha    Theropoda Ornithischia Dinosaurs are giant reptiles that dominated the terrestrial ecosystem for most of their 165-million year existence. ... Othniel Charles Marsh (1831-1899) Othniel Charles Marsh (October 29, 1831 - March 18, 1899) was one of the pre-eminent paleontologists of the 19th century, who discovered and named many fossils found in the American West. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... Species Apatosaurus ajax Apatosaurus excelsus Apatosaurus louisae Apatosaurus (pronounced ) meaning deceptive lizard, because its chevron bones were like those of Mosasaurus (Greek apatelos or apatelios = deceptive + sauros = lizard), often mistakenly referred to as Brontosaurus, is a genus of sauropod dinosaurs that lived about 140 million years ago, during the Jurassic...

History

Brontosaurus skeleton by O.C. Marsh.

Othniel Marsh, a Professor of Paleontology at Yale University who described and named an incomplete (and juvenile) skeleton of Apatosaurus ajax in 1877, two years later announced the discovery of a far larger and more complete specimen at Como Bluff Wyoming — which, because of discrepancies including the size difference, Marsh incorrectly identified as belonging to an entirely new genus and dubbed Brontosaurus excelsus. [Etymology: from Latin excelsus, "to exceed in number", suggesting the greater number of vertebrae in the sacrum than in any other genus of sauropod then known.] Image File history File links Brontosaurus_skeleton_1880s. ... Image File history File links Brontosaurus_skeleton_1880s. ... Othniel Charles Marsh (1831-1899) Othniel Charles Marsh (October 29, 1831 - March 18, 1899) was one of the pre-eminent paleontologists of the 19th century, who discovered and named many fossils found in the American West. ... Paleontology, palaeontology or palæontology (from Greek: paleo, ancient; ontos, being; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. ... Yale redirects here. ... Species Apatosaurus ajax Apatosaurus excelsus Apatosaurus louisae Apatosaurus (pronounced ) meaning deceptive lizard, because its chevron bones were like those of Mosasaurus (Greek apatelos or apatelios = deceptive + sauros = lizard), often mistakenly referred to as Brontosaurus, is a genus of sauropod dinosaurs that lived about 140 million years ago, during the Jurassic... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Como Bluff is a long ridge extending east-west, located about 6 miles between the towns of Rock River and Medicine Bow, Wyoming. ... Official language(s) English Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Area  Ranked 10th  - Total 97,818 sq mi (253,348 km²)  - Width 280 miles (450 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 0. ...

The finds — the largest dinosaur ever discovered at the time and nearly complete, lacking only a head, feet, and portions of the tail — were then prepared for what was to be the first ever mounted display of a sauropod skeleton, at Yale's Peabody Museum of Natural History in 1905. The missing bones were created using known pieces from close relatives of Brontosaurus. Sauropod feet that were discovered at the same quarry were added, as well as a tail fashioned to appear as Marsh believed it should and what he felt was the correct skull for the massive creature. This was not a delicate Diplodocus-style skull (which would later turn out to be more accurate), but instead, a composite composed of "the biggest, thickest, strongest skull bones, lower jaws and tooth crowns from three different quarries", primarily those of Camarasaurus, the only other sauropod for which good skull material was known at the time. This method of reconstructing incomplete skeletons based on the more complete remains of related dinosaurs continues in museum mounts and life restorations to this day. There is, however, some debate on whether Marsh was actually involved in the creation of this skeletal mount, or whether it was other Yale professors, as he has been reported to have died in 1899, six years before the display apparently took shape. The Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University was founded by the philanthropist George Peabody in 1866 at the behest of his nephew Othniel Charles Marsh, the early paleontologist. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... For the extinct amphibian, see Diplocaulus. ... Species (holotype) The Camarasaurus (pronounced KAM-a-rah-SORE-us) was a genera of quadrupedal, herbivorous dinosaurs. ...

It was not until after the debut of the mounted skeleton, which cemented the name Brontosaurus in the public consciousness, that Elmer Riggs published a paper in the 1903 edition of Geological Series of the Field Columbian Museum which argued that Brontosaurus was not different enough from Apatosaurus to warrant its own genus, and created the combination Apatosaurus excelsus:

...In view of these facts the two genera may be regarded as synonymous. As the term "Apatosaurus" has priority, "Brontosaurus" will be regarded as a synonym.

Despite this, some paleontologists — most notably Robert Bakker — argue that A. ajax and A. excelsus are in fact sufficiently distinct that the latter continues to merit a separate genus. Robert T. Bakker (Bob Bakker), born in Bergen, New Jersey, 1945, is a famous American paleontologist who has helped re-shape modern theories about dinosaurs, particularly by adding support to the theory that some dinosaurs were homeothermic (warm-blooded). ...

In popular culture

The length of time taken for Marsh's misclassification to be brought to public notice meant that the name Brontosaurus, associated as it was with one of the largest dinosaurs, became so famous that it persisted long after the name had officially been abandoned in scientific use. The terms brontosaurus, brontosaurs, and brontosaurians (no capital 'B'; no italics) are often used to refer generically to any of the sauropod dinosaurs. Families Brachiosauridae Camarasauridae Cetiosauridae Diplodocidae Euhelopodidae Nemegtosauridae Titanosauridae Vulcanodontidae Sauropoda, the sauropods, are a suborder or infraorder of the saurischian (lizard-hipped) dinosaurs. ...

As late as 1989, the U.S. Post Office issued four "dinosaur" stamps, Tyrannosaurus, Stegosaurus, "Pteradon" (misspelling of Pteranodon, which is a pterosaur and not a dinosaur) and Brontosaurus, for which it was accused, amongst other things, of "fostering scientific illiteracy." The Post Office defended itself (in Postal Bulletin 21744) thus: Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... USPS and Usps redirect here. ... Species T. rex (type) Osborn, 1905 Synonyms Manospondylus Cope, 1892 Dynamosaurus Osborn, 1905  ?Nanotyrannus Bakker, Williams & Currie, 1988 Stygivenator Olshevsky, 1995 Dinotyrannus Olshevsky, 1995 Tyrannosaurus (pronounced IPA: , meaning tyrant lizard) is a genus of theropod dinosaur. ... Species Marsh, 1877 (type) Marsh, 1887 Gilmore, 1914 Stegosaurus (IPA: ) is a genus of stegosaurid armoured dinosaur from the Late Jurassic period (Kimmeridgian to Early Tithonian) in what is now western North America. ... Species (type) Pteranodon (from Greek πτερ- wing and αν-οδων toothless), from the Late Cretaceous (santonian-campanian, 85-82 million years ago) of North America (Kansas, Alabama, Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota) was one of the largest pterosaur genera, with a wingspan of up to 9 m (30 feet). ... Suborders Pterodactyloidea Rhamphorhynchoidea * Pterosaurs (, from the Greek πτερόσαυρος, pterosauros, meaning winged lizard, often referred to as pterodactyls, from the Greek πτεροδάκτυλος, pterodaktulos, meaning winged finger ) were flying reptiles of the clade Pterosauria. ...

Although now recognized by the scientific community as Apatosaurus, the name "Brontosaurus" was used for the stamp because it is more familiar to the general population.

Stephen Jay Gould supports this position in his essay "Bully for Brontosaurus", echoing Riggs' original argument that "Brontosaurus" is a synonym for "Apatosaurus". Nevertheless, the creature has developed and continues to maintain an independent existence in the popular imagination. Stephen Jay Gould (September 10, 1941 – May 20, 2002) was an American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science. ...

Film and television

Since the beginning of film history, Brontosaurus has been depicted in cinema. For example, the 1925 silent movie The Lost World features an epic Willis O'Brien special effects battle between a Brontosaurus and an Allosaurus. The Skull Island of King Kong (1933) features a Brontosaurus, which kills several men by chomping but not eating them) in the original and involved in a stampede and pile-up in the 2005 remake, known as Brontosaurus baxteri (Baxter's Thunder-Lizard). The "Age of the Dinosaurs" segment of the Rite of Spring sequence in Fantasia features Brontosaurs. The Lost World is a 1925 silent adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyles book of the same name. ... Willis OBrien with his Academy Award. ... Special effects (abbreviated SPFX or SFX) are used in the film, television, and entertainment industry to create effects that cannot be achieved by normal means, such as depicting travel to other star systems. ... Species type (Marsh, 1878) Paul, 1987 Mateus , 2006 jimmadseni Chure, 2000 vide Glut, 2003 Synonyms Creosaurus Marsh, 1878 Labrosaurus Marsh, 1879 Camptonotus Marsh, 1879  ?Epanterias Cope, 1878 Allosaurus (IPA: ) was a large (up to 11. ... This page refers to the fictional Skull Island of King Kong. ... This is about the original movie and novel. ... King Kong is a 2005 remake of the 1933 King Kong film about a fictional giant ape called Kong. ... The Rite of Spring is a ballet with music by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. ... Fantasia is a 1940 motion picture, produced by Walt Disney and first released on November 13, 1940 in the United States. ...

British comedy group Monty Python's 1974 season includes a sketch involving a "Miss Anne Elk" whose trivial theory about the Brontosaurus parodied the controversy of the time. Monty Python, or The Pythons, is the collective name of the creators of Monty Pythons Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... List of all 45 episodes from the television series Monty Pythons Flying Circus: // (episode 1; aired October 5, 1969; recorded September 7, 1969) Its Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Italian Lesson Whizzo Butter Its the Arts Arthur Two Sheds Jackson Picasso/Cycling Race The Funniest Joke in the World... Anne Elks Theory on Brontosauruses is a sketch from the thirty-first Monty Pythons Flying Circus episode, The All-England Summarize Proust Competition. This skit features Graham Chapman as a television interviewer and John Cleese in drag as the palaeontologist, Anne Elk, appearing in a television talk show...

The 1985 film Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend involves a baby Brontosaurus.

Music

• "Brontosaurus Stomp" (1960) was an Australian #10 hit for The Piltdown Men.
• Heavy metal track "Brontosaurus" (1970) was a UK #7 hit for The Move.
• David Bellamy once recorded a song called "Brontosaurus Will You Wait For Me?".
• Music Group "Da Vinci's Notebook" releases an A Capella album titled "Brontosaurus" (2002)
• Walking in Your Footsteps by The Police
• Brontosaurus Chorus are a popular London based indie pop band.
• Weird Al Yankovic mentions a Brontosaurus in his Song "The Bedrock Anthem".

The Piltdown Men were an instrumental group, the brainchild of Ed Cobb and Lincoln Mayorga, on Capitol Records. ... Heavy metal redirects here. ... Brontosaurus is a song by rock group The Move. ... The Move were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s from Birmingham, England. ... David Bellamy Professor David J. Bellamy OBE (born 18 January 1933) is an English botanist, author, broadcaster and environmental campaigner. ... This article is about the musician. ...

Other

Several noted companies, including Sinclair Oil and Bronto Software use a Brontosaurus as their respective logos. A main belt asteroid, 9949 Brontosaurus, was named in honor of the genus. Sinclair Oil is an American petroleum company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. ... The asteroid belt is a region of the solar system falling roughly between the planets Mars and Jupiter where the greatest concentration of asteroid orbits can be found. ... For other uses, see Asteroid (disambiguation). ...

Children's books often feature Brontosaurus. The Little Blue Brontosaurus (1983) is a children's book from Byron Preiss. Danny and the Dinosaur is a children's book by Sid Hoff. Byron Preiss (born 1953 in Brooklyn, New York, died July 9, 2005 in Long Island, New York) was an American writer, editor and publisher, and founded and served as president of Byron Preiss Visual Publications which developed projects for various publishing houses, and was also the founder of ibooks. ...

See also

• Eobrontosaurus, a recently classified related genus
• Bully for Brontosaurus: Reflections in Natural History, a book by Stephen Jay Gould
• Dinny the Dinosaur, a Brontosaurus sculpture

Binomial name Eobrontosaurus yahnahpin Bakker, 1998 Eobrontosaurus (dawn thunder lizard) is the name given to a genus of dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of North America. ... Bully for Brontosaurus, published in 1991, is the fifth volume of collected essays from evolutionary biologist and well-known science writer Stephen Jay Gould; the essays were culled from his monthly column The View of Life in Natural History magazine, to which Gould contributed for more than two decades. ... Stephen Jay Gould (September 10, 1941 – May 20, 2002) was an American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science. ... Dinny the Dinosaur Cabazon Dinosaurs, also referred to as Claude Bells dinosaurs, are world famous, enormous, sculptured roadside attractions located in Cabazon, California and visible to the immediate north of Interstate 10. ...

References

• ^  The Dinosaur Heresies: New Theories Unlocking the Mystery of the Dinosaurs and Their Extinction, Robert Bakker, 1986 (on Evo-wiki)

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/dinos/apatosaurus.html

External links

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of

Wikijunior Dinosaurs/Brontosaurus

• Encyclopaedia Britannica article ][404-not found as of 18 November 2007]
• The Great Brontosaurus Hoax
• Why is "Brontosaurus" now called Apatosaurus?
• UnMuseum Article "Whatever Happened to the Brontosaurus?"
• Brontosaurus species
• Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend at IMDB
• Friends Of The Brontosaurus[404-not found as of 26 July 2007]

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