One of the longest dinosaurs, Diplodocus had a unique body construction, with two rows of bones on the underside of its tail to provide extra support and greater mobility.
Because of Diplodocus' unusual skeleton, palaeontologist Othniel C. Marsh coined its name in 1878, deriving it from the Greek words "diplos," meaning "double," and "dokos" meaning "beam."
One of the best-known sauropods (long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs), this genus of dinosaur lived during the late Jurassic Period, about 155.7 million to 150.8 million years ago, an d primarily roamed western North America. Four species are recognized: D. longus, D. carnegii, D. hayi and D. hallorum (previously known as Seismosaurus).
Diplodocus is the longest dinosaur known from a near-complete skeleton — that is, other dinosaurs, such as the sauropod Supersaurus, may be longer, but those length estimates are based on fairly incomplete skeletons.
The best-known Diplodocus species, D. carnegii, of which there's a near-complete skeleton, was about 90 feet (27.4 meters) long. The largest species, D. hallorum, was about 108 feet (33 m) long, according to a 2006 report in the New Mexico Museum of Natural History Bulletins.
The majority of Diplodocus' length was taken up by its neck and tail. For instance, the neck alone of D. carnegii was at least 21 feet (6.5 meters) long, according to a 2011 study in the Journal of Zoology, and its tail was even longer!
Based on a 1910 reconstruction of Diplodocus by palaeontologist Oliver P. Hay, scientists initially thought that Diplodocus' posture was more lizard-like, with splayed limbs,. However, palaeontologist William J. Holland argued that such a posture would have required a large ditch to accommodate the dinosaur's stomach. In the 1930s, fossil footprints, or "trackways," suggested Diplodocus walked with its broad legs straight down, like an elephant.
Like some other sauropods, Diplodocus' nasal openings sat high up on its forehead instead of at the end of its snout. At one point, scientists thought that Diplodocus may have had a trunk. However, a 2006 study in the journal Geobios concluded that Diplodocus didn't have the neuroanatomy that could support a trunk, after comparing skulls of the dinosaur with those of elephants.
Another theory explaining Diplodocus' high nasal openings proposed the dinosaur needed this adaptation to live in water. But sauropods likely weren't suited for aquatic life, because they had pockets of air inside their bodies that would have made them too buoyant (and unstable) in deep water, according to a 2004 study in the journal Biology Letters
Diplodocus had five-toed broad feet, with the "thumb" toes sporting a claw that was unusually large, compared with other sauropods. It's not known what purpose this claw served for Diplodocus or other sauropods.
And you can see a recreation of the famous diplodocus; Dippy! At Rochdale riverside right now!
04 Feb 2020