Brontosaurus Facts for Kids

A Picture of Brontosaurus Excelsus
  • Species Type: Brontosaurus excelsus
  • Type of Dinosaur: Sauropod
  • Period: Late Jurassic
  • Diet: Foliage (herbivorous)
  • Life Span: Maybe up to 100 years
  • Length: Up to 72 feet
  • Weight: Up to 17 tons

16 Brontosaurus Facts for Kids

  1. The Brontosaurus was discovered in 1879, by Yale University professor O.C. Mash, in the Morrison Formation at Como Bluff in Wyoming.
  2. The Brontosaurus got its scientific name Brontosaurus excelsus in 1987, from O.C. Mash.
  3. There are three recongized specices of Brontoasaruses and they are B. excelsus (type species), B. parvus and B. yahnahpin.
  4. The name Brontosaurus means: “Thunder lizard”.
  5. The name Brontosaurus is pronounced: “BRONT-uh-SAWR-us”.
  6. The Brontosaurus was part of a group of dinosaurs known as Sauropods.
  7. They lived in the Late Jurassic Period between 146.8 and 156.3 million years ago.
  8. Estimates put the weight of a Brontosaurus up to 17 tons.
  9. Estimates put the length of a Brontosaurus up to 72 feet.
  10. It took about 10 years for a Brontosaurus to reach its full adult size.
  11. The Brontosaurus was a herbivore.
  12. Paleontologists believe the Brontosaurus had a lifespan up to and maybe even over 100 years.
  13. The nostrils of a Brontosaurus were located on the top of its head.
  14. For a while, the Brontosaurus and Apatosaurus were considered the same species. However, new research in 2015 determined the fossils of both the Brontosaurus and Apatosaurus were different enough to belong to their own separate groups.
  15. In 1989, the United States Post Office issued four new stamps that included the Brontosaurus.
  16. The Sinclair Oil Corporation uses the Brontosaurus as its logo and mascot.

Additional Resources on Brontosaurus