Mary Allen
[lwptoc]
Introduction: The Brontosaurus
The Brontosaurus, also known as the thunder lizard, was a giant herbivorous dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic period, approximately 150 million years ago. It is one of the most well-known and beloved dinosaurs, and many people still remember it from their childhoods. However, the story of the Brontosaurus is not as straightforward as it may seem. In fact, the Brontosaurus went through a series of ups and downs, from its initial discovery to its eventual fall and re-discovery.
The Rise of the Brontosaurus
The Brontosaurus was one of the largest animals to ever walk the earth. It had a long neck and tail, a small head, and four massive legs. It could grow up to 75 feet long and weigh as much as 15 elephants. Despite its enormous size, the Brontosaurus was a gentle giant that fed on plants and lived in herds.
The first fossils of the Brontosaurus were discovered in the late 19th century during the so-called “Bone Wars,” a period of intense competition between two paleontologists, Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh. The discovery of the Brontosaurus helped fuel the Bone Wars and contributed to the public’s fascination with dinosaurs.
Discovering the Brontosaurus
The discovery of the Brontosaurus was a major event in the history of paleontology. The first partial skeleton was found in 1877 by Othniel Charles Marsh in Wyoming, and over the next few years, several more specimens were unearthed. These fossils provided scientists with a glimpse into the world of the Late Jurassic period and helped them piece together the evolutionary history of dinosaurs.
Naming the Brontosaurus
The naming of the Brontosaurus was a bit of a controversy. When Marsh first described the dinosaur, he named it Apatosaurus, which means “deceptive lizard.” However, when he discovered a more complete skeleton a few years later, he decided that it was a different species and gave it the name Brontosaurus, which means “thunder lizard.” The Brontosaurus name became widely recognized, and the dinosaur quickly became a popular icon in popular culture.
Brontosaurus in Popular Culture
The Brontosaurus became a fixture in popular culture, appearing in movies, books, and TV shows. It was often depicted as a gentle giant, and its size and power made it a popular subject for children’s books and toys. The Brontosaurus was also a popular attraction at museums and theme parks, where life-size models and animatronic replicas were on display.
The Fall of the Brontosaurus
The Brontosaurus enjoyed decades of popularity, but in the 20th century, its reputation began to wane. In the early 1900s, paleontologists began to re-examine the Brontosaurus fossils and realized that they were actually the same species as the Apatosaurus. The Brontosaurus was demoted to a mere synonym of Apatosaurus, and its name was dropped from scientific literature.
The Mix-Up with Apatosaurus
The confusion between the Brontosaurus and Apatosaurus arose because of a mix-up in the early days of dinosaur classification. When Marsh first described the Apatosaurus, he only had a partial skeleton, and he mistakenly believed that the head belonged to a different dinosaur. When he discovered a more complete skeleton a few years later, he realized his mistake but decided to give the new dinosaur a different name, the Brontosaurus.
The Tale of the Two Names
The Brontosaurus name became so popular that it overshadowed the Apatosaurus in the public’s imagination. Even after the two names were officially merged, many people still referred to the dinosaur as the Brontosaurus. In recent years, however, there has been a renewed interest in the Brontosaurus, and some paleontologists have argued that it deserves to be recognized as a distinct species once again.
The Re-Discovery of the Brontosaurus
In 2015, a team of scientists published a study in the journal PeerJ in which they argued that the Brontosaurus should be resurrected as a separate species. The researchers analyzed the skeletal differences between the Brontosaurus and Apatosaurus and concluded that they were distinct enough to warrant separate names. The study sparked a renewed interest in the Brontosaurus and brought the dinosaur back into the public eye.
The Brontosaurus Debate
The debate over the Brontosaurus’s status as a separate species is ongoing. Some paleontologists argue that the differences between the Brontosaurus and Apatosaurus are not significant enough to justify separate names, while others believe that the Brontosaurus deserves to be recognized as a distinct species once again. Regardless of the outcome, the Brontosaurus will always hold a special place in the hearts of dinosaur enthusiasts.
Conclusion: The Brontosaurus Legacy
The Brontosaurus may have gone through a tumultuous history, but its legacy lives on. It remains one of the most iconic and beloved dinosaurs of all time, and its image can be found on everything from t-shirts to coffee mugs. The Brontosaurus has captured the imaginations of generations of children and adults alike, and its story serves as a reminder of the ever-changing nature of science and our understanding of the natural world.
References and Further Reading
- Stevens, K. A., and J. S. Hall. “The small correction that wasn’t: A rejoinder on the name Apatosaurus versus Brontosaurus.” PeerJ Preprints 3 (2015).
- Tschopp E., Mateus O., Benson R.B.J. (2015) A specimen-level phylogenetic analysis and taxonomic revision of Diplodocidae (Dinosauria, Sauropoda). PeerJ 3:e857; DOI 10.7717/peerj.857
- Yates, A. M. “A revision of the problematic sauropod dinosaur Astronomosaurus from the Late Jurassic of Chile: Implications for the classification of diplodocid sauropods.” Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 137.3 (2003): 335-388.