Camarasaurus

Lore & Background

Camarasaurus was discovered during the Bone Wars, a feud between paleontologists Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope. Later that year, Marsh's collectors at Como Bluff, Wyoming, sent bones that Marsh named Apatosaurus grandis and later Morosaurus, which were eventually assigned to Camarasaurus.

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.