What does brachiosaurus mean?
Brachiosaurus is a genus of exceptionally large, long-necked sauropod dinosaurs from the Late Jurassic period. It was a herbivore and is especially recognizable because its forelimbs were longer than its hind legs, unlike in most other sauropods. Its name combines Greek roots meaning "arm" and "lizard," an apt description of its unusually long front limbs. Brachiosaurus is often discussed alongside Diplodocus because both were immense, plant-eating dinosaurs with elongated necks and tails, but they had visibly different proportions. The name was introduced by the American paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh for a newly discovered North American fossil dinosaur. In modern usage, Brachiosaurus refers formally to a taxonomic genus, whose members are commonly called brachiosaurs. It appears in museum displays, popular books, documentaries, and discussions of prehistoric animal size, where it evokes both scientific interest and the popular image of the long-necked giants of the Jurassic.
nounA genus of large, long-necked, herbivorous sauropod dinosaurs that lived during the Late Jurassic period. Brachiosaurus had unusually long forelimbs, which were longer than its hind legs.
- A member of Brachiosaurus, a genus of large, long-necked, herbivorous sauropod dinosaurs distinguished by forelimbs longer than the hind legs.
"The museum's towering Brachiosaurus skeleton gives visitors a vivid sense of the dinosaur's immense size."
"A brachiosaurus browsed on vegetation in the Late Jurassic landscape."
"Paleontologists have studied Brachiosaurus fossils to understand how sauropods supported their enormous bodies."
As a zoological genus name, Brachiosaurus is conventionally treated as singular; brachiosaurs is the usual plural when referring to multiple animals or the genus as a group. Brachiosauruses is also occasionally used.
"Researchers have identified several brachiosaurs from fossils recovered in eastern Africa."
Brachiosaurus means "arm lizard," and its famously long arms helped make its towering body look even more extraordinary.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does brachiosaurus come from?
Brachiosaurus was coined in the nineteenth century by American paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh for a newly discovered dinosaur from North America. Its name combines the Greek brachion, meaning "arm," with sauros, meaning "lizard." The resulting name means "arm lizard" and refers to the animal's unusually long forelimbs. Its elements belong to a wider family of English words associated with the arm, including brachium, brachial, and brachiation.
How brachiosaurus is actually used
The name is normally capitalized when referring to the zoological genus, as in "Brachiosaurus altithorax," but may be lowercased when used informally for a dinosaur belonging to the genus.
Easily confused with brachiosaurus
Both were large, long-necked sauropod dinosaurs, but Brachiosaurus had forelimbs longer than its hind legs, whereas Diplodocus had shorter forelimbs and a differently proportioned skull and tail.