What does sauropod mean?
A sauropod is an extinct, generally herbivorous dinosaur with a small head, a very long neck and tail, and four sturdy legs. These dinosaurs lived from the Late Triassic through the end of the Cretaceous Period and were widely distributed across what are now North America, Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia. Sauropods included Brachiosaurus, Diplodocus, and Argentinosaurus, and some species were among the largest animals ever to live on land. Fossils of sauropods are often discovered as scattered bones, teeth, skin impressions, or trackways rather than complete skeletons. In general use, the word is closely associated with the image of a long-necked browser, although the earliest sauropods were smaller and less specialised than the enormous forms that became familiar later. The name combines Greek roots meaning "lizard" and "foot," reflecting the group's reptilian character and the feet on which they walked.
nounAn extinct group of mostly herbivorous dinosaurs characterized by a long neck and tail, four weight-bearing legs, and a relatively small head. Sauropods included some of the largest animals ever to have lived on land.
- Any member of an extinct group of mostly herbivorous dinosaurs with long necks and tails, small heads, and four legs, including the sauropods traditionally called brontosaurs.
"The fossilized footprints provide rare evidence of how sauropods moved across the landscape."
"Researchers discovered the bones of a sauropod in a sedimentary rock layer."
"The museum's reconstruction shows how a young sauropod may have moved among smaller dinosaurs."
The regular plural is used for individual dinosaurs; "a group of sauropods" refers to multiple members of the group.
"Several sauropods left overlapping footprints along the ancient shoreline."
Sauropods included the largest land animals in Earth's history, with some reaching lengths of more than 30 metres.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sauropod come from?
The word was coined in the nineteenth century from Greek sauros, meaning "lizard," and pous or podos, meaning "foot." The taxonomic name Sauropoda was introduced by the American palaeontologist Othniel Charles Marsh in 1878. The foot element continues to appear in names such as arthropod, gastropod, and cephalopod.
Related word forms
How sauropod is actually used
The term is used in palaeontology and museums. Although it is sometimes treated as synonymous with "brontosaur," it more broadly includes animals from several branches of sauropod evolution.
Easily confused with sauropod
Sauropods were predominantly herbivores with long necks, whereas theropods were generally bipedal predators with many of them possessing sharp teeth and claws.