Massospondylus

early dinosaur · plant-eater · Africa

Neck, not tail. Scientists originally thought Massospondylus had extra-long tail bones, which is why Richard Owen named it 'longer vertebra' in 1854. We now know those bones were actually from its neck, showing how careful study helps us understand fossils better.

One of the oldest named. Massospondylus was described way back in 1854, making it one of the very first dinosaurs to ever get an official name. The original fossils were destroyed during bombing in London during World War Two, but scientists have since found many more.

Southern Africa home. Most Massospondylus fossils come from South Africa and Lesotho, though some have been found in Zimbabwe too. This long-necked dinosaur roamed these lands between 201 and 184 million years ago during the Early Jurassic.

Abundant fossil record. Massospondylus is one of the best-known sauropodomorphs, meaning we have lots of skeletons to study. Scientists even named a whole time period after it, called the Massospondylus Range Zone, to help date rocks.

Plant-eating giant. As a sauropodomorph, Massospondylus was a long-necked plant-eater that used its size to reach leaves high up in ancient trees.