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Information about Seismosaurus

The dinosaur genus originally known as Seismosaurus is now officially designated Diplodocus. Please see that article for more information.
This article is about the dinosaur. For the fictional Zoid based on this dinosaur, see Seismosaurus (Zoids).


Seismosaurus (meaning "Earth-shaking lizard") is a deprecated genus of sauropod dinosaurs. While originally thought to be a distinct genus of dinosaur, studies have since shown that it is actually a large species of the well-known genus Diplodocus, known either as D. hallorum or D. longus. Seismosaurus was named for a partial skeleton discovered in New Mexico in 1979 consisting of vertebrae, pelvis, and ribs. The supposed associated gastroliths appeared to be stream-deposited cobbles of a channel-lag deposit. The species was formally recognised in 1991.[1]

Size

When first described in 1991, Gillete calculated that Seismosaurus may have been up to 54 m (177.05 ft) long, making it the longest known dinosaur (excluding those known from especially poor remains, such as Amphicoelias). Some weight estimates ranged as high as 113 (rather only 50) tonnes (125 US short tons). Since the initial description of Seismosaurus, the initial reports of gigantic size have turned out to be greatly exaggerated. The most recent studies show that Seismosaurus was in fact shorter than its relative Supersaurus at about 32 m (105 ft) long, and may have weighed about 22 to 27 tonnes (25 to 30 US short tons). This review was based on recent finding that show that the giant tail vertebrae were actually placed further forward on the tail than David Gillete originally calculated. The study shows that the complete Diplodocus skeleton at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on which estimates of Seismosaurus were based had its 13th tail vertebra come from another dinosaur, throwing size estimates for Seismosaurus off by up to 30%.

Classification

A presentation[2] at the annual conference of the Geological Society of America in 2004 has made a case for Seismosaurus to be reassigned as a species of Diplodocus, namely D. hallorum. The authors argue that many of the distinctive features of Seismosaurus are either pathological or as a result of misplacement of the vertebrae. This suggestion was further developed by the authors in 2006, in an article where they not only synonymized the two genera and officially named Diplodocus hallorum, but also speculated that it was the same as D. longus.[3] They eliminated one of the most distinct features of its skeleton, namely a hook-like process at the end of the ischium, by showing it to have been a vertebral neural arch fragment adhering to the ischium. Without this, the bone has a very normal outline.

References

1. ^ David Lambert. The Ultimate Dinosaur Book. New York: Doring Kindersley. ISBN 1-56458-304-X.
2. ^ Reappraisal of Seismosaurus, A Late Jurassic Sauropod Dinosaur from New Mexico
3. ^ Lucas, S.G., Spielman, J.A., Rinehart, L.A., Heckert, A.B., Herne, M.C., Hunt, A.P., Foster, J.R., and Sullivan, R.M. (2006). "Taxonomic status of Seismosaurus hallorum, a Late Jurassic sauropod dinosaur from New Mexico", in Foster, J.R., and Lucas, S.G.: Paleontology and Geology of the Upper Morrison Formation. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science (bulletin 36), 149-161. ISSN 1524-4156. 

External links

Diplodocus
Marsh, 1878

Species

D. carnegiei Hatcher, 1901
D. hallorum (Gillette, 1991) Lucas et al., 2004
D. hayi Holland, 1924
D.
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Zoids (stands for Androids) is a franchise based around a series of plastic toy models designed and produced by Japanese toy company Tomy (now Takara-Tomy). The models resemble a range of creatures (including mammals, dinosaurs, and insects), and depending on the particular
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The Seismosaurus is a Zoid, a race of mechanical lifeforms from the fictional Zoids universe. It is the longest Zoid ever released as a model kit.

Overview


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EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001. Their greatest hit, their debut single "time after time", peaked at #13 in the Oricon singles chart.
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Lacertilia*
Günther, 1867

Families

Many, see text.

Lizards are reptiles of the order Squamata, normally possessing four legs, external ear openings and movable eyelids.
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genus (plural: genera) is part of the Latinized name for an organism. It is a name which reflects the classification of the organism by grouping it with other closely similar organisms.
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Sauropoda
Marsh, 1878

Families

See text

Sauropoda, the sauropods, are a suborder or infraorder of the saurischian ("lizard-hipped") dinosaurs. They were the largest animals ever to have lived on land.
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Dinosauria *
Owen, 1842

Orders & Suborders
  • Ornithischia
  • Cerapoda
  • Thyreophora
  • Saurischia

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Diplodocus
Marsh, 1878

Species

D. carnegiei Hatcher, 1901
D. hallorum (Gillette, 1991) Lucas et al., 2004
D. hayi Holland, 1924
D.
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State of New Mexico

Flag of New Mexico Seal
Nickname(s): Land of Enchantment / Tierra del Encanto
Motto(s): Crescit eundo

Capital Santa Fe
Largest city Albuquerque
Largest metro area
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The Vertebral Column (singular: vertebra) are the individual irregular bones that make up the spinal column (aka ischis) — a flexuous and flexible column.
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pelvis (pl. pelvises or pelves) is the bony structure located at the base of the spine (properly known as the caudal end). The pelvis incorporates the socket portion of the hip joint for each leg (in bipeds) or hind leg (in quadrupeds).
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RIB can mean:
  • Rigid-hulled inflatable boat
  • Romanian International Bank
  • Routing Information Base
This article is about the bones called ribs. For other meanings, see rib (disambiguation).

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Gastroliths ('stomach stones' or 'gizzard stones') are rocks, which are or have been held inside the digestive tract of an animal. Among living vertebrates, gastroliths are common among herbivorous birds, crocodiles, alligators, seals and sea lions.
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Amphicoelias
Cope, 1878a

Species

A. altus Cope, 1878a (type)
A. fragillimus Cope, 1878b

Amphicoelias (pronounced IPA:
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tonne (t) or metric ton (M/T), also referred to as a metric tonne, is a measurement of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms. It is not an SI unit but is accepted for use with the SI.
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The short ton (S/T) is a unit of mass equal to 2,000 lb (exactly 907.18474 kg). In the United States it is often called simply ton without distinguishing it from the metric ton (or tonne
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Supersaurus
Jensen, 1985

Species

S. vivianae Jensen, 1985 (type)
Synonyms
  • Dystylosaurus Jensen, 1985
  • Ultrasauros Olshevsky, 1991
Supersaurus
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Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh are operated by the Carnegie Institute and are located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Institute also runs the Three Rivers Arts Festival.
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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Flag
Seal
Nickname: City of Bridges, Steel City, City of Champions, The 'Burgh, Iron City, Steel Town, The College City, Roboburgh
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Diplodocus
Marsh, 1878

Species

D. carnegiei Hatcher, 1901
D. hallorum (Gillette, 1991) Lucas et al., 2004
D. hayi Holland, 1924
D.
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Hook may refer to:
  • Any device which attaches to a (possibly unwilling) object, and attempts to draw it towards the place the hook is attached

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The ischium forms the lower and back part of the hip bone. It is situated below the ilium. The word comes from the Greek ischion, meaning "hip." (Taber's, 1985)

It is divisible into three portions:
  • Body of ischium
  • Superior ramus of the ischium

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The Vertebral Column (singular: vertebra) are the individual irregular bones that make up the spinal column (aka ischis) — a flexuous and flexible column.
..... Click the link for more information.
The Vertebral Column (singular: vertebra) are the individual irregular bones that make up the spinal column (aka ischis) — a flexuous and flexible column.
..... Click the link for more information.


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