Dicraeosaurus

dinosaur · sauropod · jurassic

Forked neck spine. Dicraeosaurus had unusual Y-shaped neural spines sticking up from its neck bones. This unique feature is actually where it got its name, which means 'forked lizard.'

African giant. This dinosaur lived in what is now Tanzania, in Africa, during the late Jurassic period about 150 million years ago. It was one of the sauropods that roamed that part of the ancient world.

First discovery. The first Dicraeosaurus fossil was found and described by paleontologist Werner Janensch in 1914. Scientists have been studying these bones ever since to understand how this dinosaur lived.

Diplodocoid design. Dicraeosaurus belonged to a group of sauropods called diplodocoids, which had long necks, long tails, and four sturdy legs to support their massive bodies.