Camarasaurus

dinosaur · sauropod · Jurassic

Enormous long-necked dinosaur. Camarasaurus was a sauropod, which means it had an extra long neck, a tiny head, and a massive body supported by four thick legs. These giant herbivores were some of the largest animals that ever lived.

Found by the hundreds. Over 530 specimens of Camarasaurus have been discovered in the Morrison Formation rocks of the western United States, making it the most common dinosaur from that era. Scientists have even found several nearly complete skeletons, which helps us understand these creatures really well.

Best understood sauropod. Because so many Camarasaurus fossils have been found and some are nearly complete, paleontologists know more about this dinosaur than almost any other sauropod. This helps us learn how these giant animals moved, ate, and lived millions of years ago.

Late Jurassic living. Camarasaurus lived during the Late Jurassic period, about 155 to 145 million years ago, when dinosaurs ruled the Earth and the continents looked completely different than they do today.