Brontosaurus was one of the giant, long-necked, herbivorous dinosaurs. It measured 21 meters in length, stood 4.5 meters tall at the hips, and weighed approximately 35 tons. They preferred to live in groups; when a large herd of Brontosaurus approached from afar, it would create a cloud of dust and a thunderous roar—hence its name. This mountain of flesh had a long neck and a disproportionately small head. With its small head and large body, the Brontosaurus had to spend a considerable amount of time eating, and it had to wolf down its food. Food slid down its long esophagus into its stomach, where it was ground up by pebbles it occasionally swallowed.
Brontosaurus is practically a household name among dinosaurs. According to a survey conducted by China Dinosaur Network, the most popular dinosaur icon is Brontosaurus, followed by Tyrannosaurus Rex. One questionnaire asked, "What dinosaur do you know?" One answer was, "That one with the long neck... Brontosaurus, that's all I know. It's illustrated in '100,000 Whys'." This shows just how deeply ingrained the Brontosaurus is in people's minds. However, Brontosaurus isn't the animal's actual name; it should be called "Apatosaurus," whose Latin name means "bewilderment."
The naming of Brontosaurus dates back to the First Fossil War in 1879. Marsh's expedition found two incomplete sauropod skeletons without skulls in Wyoming. In order to be the first to publish, he hastily named the two skeletons "Brontosaurus." Then he launched a full-scale propaganda campaign: "We have discovered this huge dinosaur, with a heavy body, powerful limbs, and a long neck and tail. This dinosaur weighs 30 to 35 tons and is 21 to 27 meters long. Its neck is longer than its body, reaching 6 meters! Its tail is about 9 meters long. It may have stood on its heels, which was truly towering into the clouds... It may have lived in plains and forests and may have traveled in herds. When a large group of Brontosaurus came from afar, it must have made a cloud of dust and a thunderous sound. Therefore, Marsh named it 'Brontosaurus'."
Unfortunately, Marsh later discovered that the two names actually referred to the same dinosaur. According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature's priority naming rules, the later-named Brontosaurus was invalid; it should have been called Apatosaurus.
Chinese name: Apatosaurus
Latin name: Apatosaurus
Age of existence: Late Jurassic
Fossil origin: Americas
Physical characteristics: 21-27 meters in length
Diet: Plants
Species: Sauropods
Meaning: A perplexing lizard
