The Sauropodomorpha were a group of long-necked, herbivorous dinosaurs that eventually dropped down on all fours and became the largest animals that ever walked the earth. A deer and two fawns feeding on some foliage A herbivore is often defined as any organism that eats only plants[1]. By that definition, many fungi, some bacteria, many animals, about 1% of flowering plants and some protists can be considered herbivores. ... Orders Saurischia    Sauropodomorpha    Theropoda Ornithischia Dinosaurs are giant reptiles that dominated the terrestrial ecosystem for most of their 165-million year existence. ... The Zebra is an example of a quadruped. ... Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land, as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water (e. ...

Description

Sauropodomorphs were adapted to higher browsing than any other contemporary herbivore, giving them access to high tree foliage. This feeding strategy is supported by many of their defining characteristics, such as: a light, tiny skull on the end of a long neck (with ten or more elongated cervical vertebrae) and a counterbalancing long tail (with one to three extra sacral vertebrae). The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ... “Foliage” redirects here. ... For other uses of Skull, see Skull (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Neck (disambiguation). ... A diagram of a thoracic vertebra. ... A scorpion tail The tail is the section at the rear end of an animals body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. ...

Their teeth were weak, and shaped like leaves or spoons (lanceolate or spatulate). Instead of grinding teeth, they had stomach stones (gastroliths), similar to the gizzard stones of modern birds and crocodiles, to help digest tough plant fibers. The front of the upper mouth bends down in what may be a beak. Types of teeth Molars are used for grinding up foods Carnassials are used for slicing food. ... Gastroliths (stomach stones or gizzard stones) are rocks, which are or have been held inside the digestive tract of an animal. ... Duck gizzards The gizzard , also referred to as the ventriculus, gastric mill, and gigerium, is an organ in the digestive tract found in birds, reptiles, earthworms, some fish, and other creatures. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Crocodile (disambiguation). ... The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which, in addition to eating, is used for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, probing for food, courtship, and feeding their young. ...

The earliest known sauropodomorph, Saturnalia, was small and slender (1.5 metres, or 5 feet long), but by the end of the Triassic they were the largest dinosaurs of their time, and in the Jurassic/Cretaceous they kept on growing. Ultimately the largest sauropods like the Supersaurus, Diplodocus hallorum, and Argentinosaurus reached 30–40 metres (100–130 ft) in length, and 60,000–100,000 kilograms (65–110 US short tons) or more in mass. Binomial name Saturnalia tupiniquim Langer, Abdala, Richter & Benton, 1999 Saturnalia were a very early sauropodomorph dinosaur, from the Carnian faunal stage of the late Triassic period (227. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet) is a non-SI unit of distance or length, measuring around a third of a metre. ... Binomial name Supersaurus vivianae Jensen, 1985 Synonyms Dystylosaurus Jensen, 1985 Ultrasauros Olshevsky, 1991 Supersaurus (meaning super lizard) was a diplodocid dinosaur discovered in a rock formation in the U.S. state of Colorado in 1972, alongside bones of a Brachiosaurus. ... For the extinct amphibian, see Diplocaulus. ... Binomial name Bonaparte & Coria, 1993 Argentinosaurus (meaning Argentina lizard) was a herbivorous sauropod dinosaur that was quite possibly the largest, heaviest land animal that ever lived. ... The international prototype, made of platinum-iridium, which is kept at the BIPM under conditions specified by the 1st CGPM in 1889. ... The short ton is a unit of mass equal to 907. ...

Initially bipedal, though as their size increased they evolved to become graviportal quadrupeds (like elephants). The early sauropodomorphs were most likely omnivores as their shared common ancestor with the other saurischian lineage (the theropods) was a carnivore. Therefore their evolution to herbivory went hand in hand with their increasing size and neck length. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Zebra is an example of a quadruped. ... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Elephas antiquus † Elephas beyeri † Elephas celebensis † Elephas cypriotes † Elephas ekorensis † Elephas falconeri † Elephas iolensis † Elephas planifrons † Elephas platycephalus † Elephas recki † Stegodon † Mammuthus † Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of pachyderm, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea... Pigs are omnivores. ... Groups Sauropodomorpha    Saturnalia    Prosauropoda    Sauropoda Theropoda    Eoraptor    Herrerasauridae    Ceratosauria    Tetanurae       Aves(extant) Saurischians (from the Greek Saurischia meaning lizard hip) are one of the two orders/branches of dinosaurs. ... Families See text Theropods (beast foot) are a group of bipedal, primarily carnivorous dinosaurs, belonging to the saurischian (lizard-hip) family. ... Carnivorism redirects here. ...

They also had large nostrils (nares), and retained a thumb (pollex) with a big claw which may have been used for defense — though their primary defensive adaptation was their extreme size. A nostril is one of the two channels of the nose, from the point where they bifurcate to the external opening. ... For other uses, see Thumb (disambiguation). ... Cat claw A claw is a curved pointed appendage, found at the end of a toe or finger or, in arthropods, of the tarsus. ...

Range

Among the very first dinosaurs to evolve in the late Triassic Period, about 230 million years ago (Mya). They became the dominant herbivores by half way through the late Triassic - Norian age. Their perceived decline in the early Cretaceous is most likely a bias in fossil sampling, as most fossils are known from Europe and North America. Sauropods were still the dominant herbivores in the Gondwana landmasses however. The spread of flowering plants (angiosperms) and "advanced" ornithischians, another major group of herbivorous dinosaurs (noted for their highly developed chewing mechanisms) are most likely not a major factor in sauropod decline in the northern continents. Like all non-avian dinosaurs, the sauropodomorphs became extinct 65 Mya, during the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event. The Triassic is a geologic period that extends from about 251 ± 0. ... A geologic period is a subdivision of geologic time that divides an era into smaller timeframes. ... Mega-annum, usually abbreviated as Ma, is a unit of time equal to one million years. ... The Norian Stage was a portion of the Triassic geological period. ... // The Cretaceous Period is one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, reaching from the end of the Jurassic Period (i. ... For other uses of Gondwana and Gondwanaland, see Gondwana (disambiguation). ... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of land plants. ... Suborders Thyreophora Cerapoda    Ornithopoda    Marginocephalia Ornithischia is an order of beaked, herbivorous dinosaurs. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... Badlands near Drumheller, Alberta where erosion has exposed the KT boundary. ...

The most basal sauropodomorph known, Saturnalia, was discovered in 1999, and is dated to the Carnian stage of the late Triassic. However, fragmentary remains from Madagascar may represent an even earlier sauropodomorph from the middle Triassic.^[1] In phylogenetics, basal members of a group diverged earlier than a subgroup of others (or vice versa). ... Faunal stages are a subdivision of geologic time used primarily by paleontologists who study fossils rather than by geologists who study rock formations. ...

Classification

Sauropodomorpha is one of the two major clades within the order Saurischia. The sauropodomorphs' sister group, the Theropoda, includes bipedal carnivores like Velociraptor and Tyrannosaurus. However, Sauropodomorpha also share a number of characteristics with the Ornithischia, so a small minority of palaeontologists like Bakker place both sets of herbivores within Phytodinosauria (or Ornithischiformes). A clade is a term belonging to the discipline of cladistics. ... In scientific classification used in biology, the order (Latin: ordo, plural ordines) is a rank between class and family (termed a taxon at that rank). ... Groups Sauropodomorpha    Saturnalia    Prosauropoda    Sauropoda Theropoda    Eoraptor    Herrerasauridae    Ceratosauria    Tetanurae       Aves(extant) Saurischians (from the Greek Saurischia meaning lizard hip) are one of the two orders/branches of dinosaurs. ... Subdivisions ?Eoraptor Herrerasauria Coelophysoidea Ceratosauria Cryolophosaurus Spinosauridae Carnosauria Coelurosauria Theropods (beast foot) are a group of bipedal saurischian dinosaurs. ... Species V. mongoliensis Osborn, 1924 (type) Velociraptor (IPA: ; meaning swift thief) is a genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur that existed approximately 83 to 70 Ma (million years ago) during the later part of the Cretaceous Period. ... 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. ... Suborders Thyreophora Cerapoda    Ornithopoda    Marginocephalia Ornithischia is an order of beaked, herbivorous dinosaurs. ... A paleontologist carefully chips rock from a column of dinosaur vertebrae. ... 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 Linnaean taxonomy, Sauropodomorpha (which means "lizard feet forms") is either a suborder or is left unranked. It was originally established by Friedrich von Huene in 1932, who broke it into two groups: the basal forms within Prosauropoda, and their descendants, the giant Sauropoda. Title page of Systema Naturae, 10th edition, 1758. ... For other uses, see Lizard (disambiguation). ... Scientific classification or biological classification refers to how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Friedrich von Huene (March 22, 1875 – April 4, 1969) was a German paleontologist who named more dinosaurs in the early 20th century than anyone else in Europe. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Families See text Prosauropoda or prosauropods were a group of early herbivorous dinosaurs that lived during the Triassic and early Jurassic periods. ... Families Brachiosauridae Camarasauridae Cetiosauridae Diplodocidae Dicraeosauridae Euhelopodidae Nemegtosauridae Omeisauridae Rebbachisauridae Titanosauridae/Saltosauridae Vulcanodontidae Sauropoda, the sauropods, are a suborder or infraorder of the saurischian (lizard-hipped) dinosaurs. ...

Recent phylogenetic analyses by Adam Yates (2004, 2006) firmly places Sauropoda within a paraphyletic Prosauropoda. Also, finds of late Triassic sauropods demonstrate that there is no gap between the "prosauropod" and sauropod lineages. A phylogeny (or phylogenesis) is the origin and evolution of a set of organisms, usually of a species. ... Paraphyletic - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

Evidence against sauropod ancestry within Prosauropoda comes from the fact that prosauropods had a smaller outer toe on their hind feet than the sauropods. Many maintain that it is easier for digits to be reduced or lost during evolution than the reverse, however there is no evidence for this. The lengthening, or gaining of extra digits is common in marine reptiles, and within the theropods digit lengthening occurred at least once. Therefore using this as evidence against ancestral prosauropods is questionable. This article is about the body part. ... Digit may refer to: A finger or a toe Numerical digit, as used in mathematics or computer science Digit (unit), an ancient meterological unit Digit (magazine), an Indian information technology magazine This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... This article is about evolution in biology. ...

While the sauropodomorphs are still grouped into prosauropods and sauropods for convenience, most modern classification schemes break the prosauropods into a half-dozen groups that evolved separately from one or more common ancestors. While they have a number of shared characteristics, the evolutionary requirements for giraffe-like browsing high in the trees may have caused convergent evolution, where similar traits evolve separately because they faced the same evolutionary pressure, instead of (homologous) traits derived from a shared ancestor. This article is about evolution in biology. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Range map The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all land-living animal species. ... In evolutionary biology, convergent evolution is the process whereby organisms not closely related, independently evolve similar traits as a result of having to adapt to similar environments or ecological niches. ... In biology, homology is any similarity between structures that is due to their shared ancestry. ...

Since the modern preference is for groups that are composed of all descendants of the same common ancestor (clades), instead of groups that exclude certain descendants of that ancestor (paraphyletic taxa), Prosauropoda is unpopular except as an informal collection of primitive (basal) sauropodomorphs. However, some like Michael Benton, consider the prosauropods and sauropods to be a distinct lineage descended from a common saurischian ancestor. While this is a minority view, supported by weak evidence, there is considerable support for a small, monophyletic Prosauropoda clade containing only smaller percentage of its previous members (taxa). A clade is a term belonging to the discipline of cladistics. ... Paraphyletic - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy one of the guidelines for inclusion on Wikipedia on one of the following topics: If you are familiar with the subject matter, please expand the article to establish its notability, citing reliable sources. ... A taxon (plural taxa) is an element of a taxonomy, e. ...

Saturnalia has the teeth, backbone, pelvis, and legs of traditional prosauropods, while lacking all of the unique sauropod characteristics. This lends some support to the prosauropod paraphyly theory, as it is the most basal sauropodomorph. However, it also lacks some of characteristics traditionally associated with Sauropodomorpha. Although, again being the most basal species this is not too surprising. The suggestion that the lack of some derived sauropodomorph characters in Saturnalia can be taken as evidence that Sauropodomorpha eis polyphyletic (evolved separately from different saurischian ancestors) has not been demonstrated by any cladistic analysis of sauropodomorphs. The pelvis (pl. ... In biology, a taxon is polyphyletic if it is descended from more than one root form (in Greek poly = many and phyletic = racial). ... Greek clados = branch) or phylogenetic systematics is a branch of biology that determines the evolutionary relationships of living things based on derived similarities. ...

Taxonomy

Taxonomy of the Sauropodomorpha after Benton, 2004.^[2]

• Suborder Sauropodomorpha
  • Thecodontosaurus
  • Family Plateosauridae
  • Riojasaurus
  • Family Massospondylidae
  • Infraorder Sauropoda
    • Family Vulcanodontidae
    • Family Omeisauridae
    • Division Neosauropoda
      • Family Cetiosauridae
      • Family Diplodocidae
      • Subdivision Macronaria
        • Family Camarasauridae
        • Infradivision Titanosauriformes
          • Family Brachiosauridae
          • Cohort Somphospondyli
            • Family Euhelopodidae
            • Family Titanosauridae

Binomial name Thecodontosaurus antiquus Riley & Stuchbury, 1836 Thecodontosaurus antiquus (Ancient Socket Tooth Lizard) was a herbivorous dinosaur which lived during the Late Triassic period (Norian and/or Rhaetian age). ... Plateosauridae is a family of the Infraorder Prosauropoda of the Suborder Sauropodomorph. ... A melanosaurid plant-eating dinosaur named after La Rioja Province in Argentina where it was found by José Bonaparte. ... Genera Coloradisaurus Jingshanosaurus Lufengosaurus Massospondylus Yunnanosaurus Massospondylidae is a family of the Infraorder Prosauropoda. ... Families Brachiosauridae Camarasauridae Cetiosauridae Diplodocidae Dicraeosauridae Euhelopodidae Nemegtosauridae Omeisauridae Rebbachisauridae Titanosauridae/Saltosauridae Vulcanodontidae Sauropoda, the sauropods, are a suborder or infraorder of the saurischian (lizard-hipped) dinosaurs. ... The Early Jurassic sauropods (Zizhongosaurus, Barapasaurus, Tazoudasaurus, and Vulcanodon) may form a natural group of basal sauropods called the Vulcanodontidae. ... Families Brachiosauridae Camarasauridae Diplodocidae Dicraeosauridae Nemegtosauridae Rebbachisauridae Titanosauridae/Saltasauridae Neosauropoda is a division-level clade of sauropods within Dinosauria, and consists of the group leading to Diplodocoidea and Macronaria. ... Families Brachiosauridae Camarasauridae Cetiosauridae Diplodocidae Dicraeosauridae Euhelopodidae Nemegtosauridae Omeisauridae Rebbachisauridae Titanosauridae/Saltasauridae Vulcanodontidae Sauropoda, the sauropods, are a suborder or infraorder of the saurischian (lizard-hipped) dinosaurs. ... Genera Subfamily Apatosaurinae:    Apatosaurus    Eobrontosaurus Subfamily Diplodocinae:    Barosaurus    Diplodocus    Seismosaurus    Supersaurus Diplodocids, or members of the family Diplodocidae, are sauropod dinosaurs such as the Diplodocus and the Apatosaurus. ... Clades Camarasauridae Titanosauriformes Macronaria is a clade of sauropod dinosaurs from the middle Jurassic (Bathonian) to late Cretaceous Periods of what are now North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. ... // Species (type species) Camarasaurus (KAM-ah-rah-SAWR-us) meaning chambered lizard, referring to the holes in its vertebrae (Greek kamara meaning vaulted chamber, or anything with an arched cover, and sauros meaning lizard) was a genus of quadrupedal, herbivorous dinosaurs. ... Clades Camarasauridae Titanosauriformes Macronaria is a clade of sauropod dinosaurs from the middle Jurassic (Bathonian) to late Cretaceous Periods of what are now North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. ... Genera Brachiosaurus Cedarosaurus Giraffatitan Lusotitan Brachiosauridae is a family of dinosaurs, whose members are known as Brachiosaurids. ... Families Andesauridae Antarctosauridae Euhelopodidae Nemegtosauridae Saltasauridae Titanosauridae Titanosaurs (members of the groups Titanosauria and/or Titanosauroidea) were a diverse group of sauropod dinosaurs, which included Saltasaurus and Isisaurus. ... Binomial name Euhelopus zdanskyi Wiman, 1929 Euhelopus was a sauropod dinosaur from the Jurassic in Shandong Province in China. ... Genera Aegyptosaurus Andesaurus Antarctosaurus Argentinosaurus Argyrosaurus Bruhathkayosaurus Jainosaurus Paralititan Saltasaurus Titanosaurus For the Titanosaurus featured in the Godzilla film series, click here. ...

Phylogeny

The following cladogram simplified after those presented in The Dinosauria second edition.^[3] Greek clados = branch) or phylogenetic systematics is a branch of biology that determines the evolutionary relationships of living things based on derived similarities. ...

References

• Wilson, J. A. 2002. Sauropod dinosaur phylogeny: critique and cladistic analysis, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 136:217-276.

Jeffrey A. Wilson is a professor of geological sciences and assistant curator at the Museum of Paleontology at the University of Michigan. ... Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society is a academic journal published by Blackwell Publishing Limited. ...

External links

• Sauropodomorpha: Overview, from Palæos.
• Sauropodmorpha, from When Dinosaurs Ruled Texas, by Jon A. Baskin.
• Sauropodomorpha, by Justin Tweet from Thescelosaurus!
• Geol 104 Dinosaurs: A natural history: Sauropodomorpha: Size matters, by Thomas R. Holtz Jr., from the University of Maryland.
• Sauropodomorpha: The prosauropods and the sauropods

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