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A Supersaurus fighting a Torvosaurus
Supersaurus is a genus of diplodocid sauropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Jurassic period.[1]
The type species, S. vivianae, was first discovered by Vivian Jones of Delta, Colorado, in the middle Morrison Formation of Colorado in 1972. The fossil remains came from the Brushy Basin Member of the formation, dating to about 153 million years ago.[1] A potential second species, S. lourinhanensis, (Dinheirosaurus) is known from Portugal and has been dated to a similar time.[2][3]
Description[]
The name means, "super lizard". Supersaurus is among the largest dinosaurs known from good remains, possibly reaching 39–40 meters (128–131 ft) in length, and a weight of 31.8–36.3 metric tons (35.1–40.0 short tons).[4]
The first described specimens of Supersaurus were individual bones that suggested a large diplodocid. A large cervical vertebra BYU 9024 from the same quarry was later assigned to Supersaurus.[5] This vertebra measures 1,380 millimeters (54 in) and is the longest cervical known.[6] This enormous vertebra was reclassified as a Barosaurus vertebra, by Mike Taylor and Matt Wedel however Brian Curtice assigned it to Supersaurus on the basis of additional specimens.[7]
The assignment of the more complete specimen, WDC DMJ-021, to Supersaurus suggests that in most respects it was very similar in anatomy to Apatosaurus but less robustly built with especially elongated cervical vertebrae, resulting in one of the longest known sauropod necks.[8]
History[]
Jensen, who described the original Supersaurus specimen, simultaneously reported the discovery of another gigantic sauropod, which would later be named "Ultrasaurus" macintoshi (later renamed Ultrasauros macintoshi). The type specimen (the specimen used to define a new species) of Ultrasauros, being a backbone (dorsal vertebra, labeled BYU 9044), was later found to have come from Supersaurus. In fact, it probably belonged to the original Supersaurus specimen, which was discovered in the same quarry in 1972. Therefore, Ultrasauros became a junior objective synonym of Supersaurus, which had been named first and thus retains priority, and the name Ultrasauros was abandoned.[9][10]
Supersaurus Illustration
The original fossil remains of Supersaurus were discovered in the Dry Mesa Quarry in 1972. This find yielded only a few bones: mainly the shoulder girdle, an ischium and tail vertebrae. Paleontologist James A. Jensen described Supersaurus; he designated a scapulocoracoid BYU 9025 (originally labeled as BYU 5500) as the type specimen. This shoulder girdle stood some 2.4 meters (8 ft) tall, if placed on end.[11]
The specimen was given the name "Supersaurus" informally as early as 1973, but was not officially described and named until more than a decade later, in 1985.[12] Sauropod researcher Jack McIntosh at one time thought that the BYU Supersaurus material might represent a large species of Barosaurus but later felt that there was evidence for Supersaurus being a valid genus.[13]
A much more complete specimen WDC DMJ-021, was found in Converse County, Wyoming in 1986 by Brandon Flyr and Bart Lesco while out hiking and was reported to the people who owned the land at the time. The discovery was later named "Jimbo" in 1996 by the family that purchased the land, it was described and assigned to Supersaurus in 2007. The specimen represented approximately 30% of the skeleton. Its bones are being held at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. A comparison of WDC DMJ-021 and other specimens previously assigned to Supersaurus was done in order to help decide what material from the Dry Mesa Quarry belonged to the genus. It indicated that a series of tail vertebrae and an ulna may have belonged to some other diplodocid.[14]
In November 15, 2021, Supersaurus might have been the longest dinosaur that ever lived reaching about 128 feet (39 meters) in length.
In the Media[]
- Supersaurus has appeared in Jurassic Park III: Park Builder.
- Supersaurus appears in Jurassic World: The Game as a super rare herbivore. It is unlocked after beating stage 28. The game has given the Supersaurus and all of its evolutions a rhinoceros-like horn, which isn't accurate.
- Supersaurus appears in Mammals vs Dinos.
- Sue from The Land Before Time is a Supersaurus.
- Supersaurus appears in Dinosaur King.
Other Wikis[]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/35953691_Stratigraphy_and_correlation_of_the_Morrison_Formation_Late_Jurassic-Early_Cretaceous_of_the_western_interior_USA_with_emphasis_on_southeastern_Wyoming
- ↑ https://peerj.com/articles/857/
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4393826/
- ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237468705_Morphology_of_a_specimen_of_Supersaurus_Dinosauria_Sauropoda_from_the_Morrison_Formation_of_Wyoming_and_a_re-evaluation_of_diplodocid_phylogeny
- ↑ https://www.jstor.org/stable/41712373
- ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249962210_Sauroposeidon_proteles_A_New_Sauropod_from_the_Early_Cretaceous_of_Oklahoma
- ↑ https://vertpaleo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SVP_2021_VirtualBook_final.pdf#page91
- ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237468705_Morphology_of_a_specimen_of_Supersaurus_Dinosauria_Sauropoda_from_the_Morrison_Formation_of_Wyoming_and_a_re-evaluation_of_diplodocid_phylogeny
- ↑ https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/4439
- ↑ http://www.miketaylor.org.uk/tmp/CurticeEtAl1996-ultrasauros.pdf
- ↑ https://svpow.com/2019/06/22/supersaurus-ultrasaurus-and-dystylosaurus-in-2019-part-4-what-is-the-holotype-of-supersaurus/
- ↑ https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/4439
- ↑ https://iupress.org/9780253345424/thunder-lizards/
- ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237468705