Camarasaurus
Common sauropod of the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation.
Camarasaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian ages) in North America. It is the most common dinosaur found in the Morrison Formation of the western United States, with over 530 specimens recovered, including several nearly complete skeletons, making it one of the best understood sauropods. The name means "chambered lizard," referring to the hollow chambers in its neck and back vertebrae. This dinosaur was a bulky sauropod with a proportionally wide rib cage. Its skull was larger and more robust than those of other sauropods, equipped with powerful jaws capable of generating high bite forces. It had 13 to 14 spoon-shaped teeth on each side of the upper jaw and 13 on each side of the lower jaw; these teeth were tilted forward and rapidly replaced. Camarasaurus was likely a selective feeder, browsing at specific heights. Specimens range from a presumed embryo to an individual estimated to have reached 40 years of age, one of the oldest known ages for any dinosaur. Skin impressions have been preserved on one specimen, and many individuals show evidence of injury or disease, including bite marks and arthritis. It is possible that these dinosaurs migrated seasonally to avoid the dry periods in the Morrison basin. The genus was named in 1877 by Edward Drinker Cope, based on fossils from Garden Park, Colorado, during the Bone Wars rivalry with Othniel Charles Marsh. Marsh later named a similar genus, Morosaurus, from Wyoming, but those fossils were eventually assigned to Camarasaurus. In 1879, a life-sized drawing of the reconstructed skeleton was produced, the oldest known reconstruction of any sauropod. Four species are commonly recognized: C. supremus, C. grandis, C. lentus, and C. lewisi. C. lentus was the most common species, while C. supremus was considerably larger and may have been the youngest species, appearing mostly in the upper layers of the Morrison Formation. Camarasaurus belongs to the group Macronaria, and some paleontologists place it in the family Camarasauridae alongside genera such as Tehuelchesaurus and Lourinhasaurus.
- field
- Paleontology
- meaning_of_name
- chambered lizard
- known_for
- most common dinosaur in the Morrison Formation; oldest known reconstruction of a sauropod
Lore & Background
Camarasaurus was a bulky sauropod with a notably wide rib cage. Its skull was larger and more robust than those of other sauropods, equipped with powerful jaws capable of generating high bite forces. The jaws held 13 to 14 spoon-shaped teeth on each side of the upper jaw and 13 on each side of the lower jaw; these teeth were tilted forward and replaced rapidly. This dinosaur was likely a selective feeder, browsing at specific heights. Specimens range from a presumed embryo to an individual estimated to have reached 40 years of age, one of the oldest known for any dinosaur. Skin impressions have been preserved on one specimen, and many fossils show evidence of injury or disease, including bite marks and arthritis. It is possible that individuals migrated seasonally to avoid dry periods in the Morrison Basin. The genus lived during the Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian ages) in North America, with over 530 specimens recovered from the Morrison Formation in the western United States, making it the most common dinosaur in that formation and one of the best-understood sauropods. Four species are commonly recognized: *C. supremus*, *C. grandis*, *C. lentus*, and *C. lewisi*. The most common species, *C. lentus*, was smaller, while *C. supremus* was considerably larger and may have been the youngest species, appearing mostly at the top of the formation. Camarasaurus belongs to the group Macronaria, and some paleontologists place it with genera like *Tehuelchesaurus* and *Lourinhasaurus* in the family Camarasauridae.
Reader's Guide
Camarasaurus is significant as the most abundant dinosaur in the Morrison Formation, providing extensive fossil evidence for understanding sauropod anatomy, growth, and behavior. Its skull was proportionally larger and more strongly built than other sauropods, with spoon-shaped teeth and powerful jaws for selective feeding at heights of 2 to 5 meters. Specimens range from an embryo to an individual that likely reached 40 years of age, one of the oldest known for a dinosaur. Skin impressions and signs of injury or disease have been found. The genus includes four commonly recognized species: C. supremus, C. grandis, C. lentus, and C. lewisi. Its legacy includes clarifying taxonomic confusion from the Bone Wars and contributing to the understanding of sauropod diversity and ecology.
Did You Know?
- The name Camarasaurus means 'chambered lizard', referring to chambers in its vertebrae.
- One Camarasaurus specimen may have reached 40 years of age, one of the oldest reported ages for a dinosaur.
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