Fun Kaatedocus Facts For Kids

The Kaatedocus, scientifically known as the Kaatedocus siberi, has been discovered in the middle Jurassic late (Kimmeridgian stage) period of northern Wyoming, United States. They are from the Kaatedocus genus and they belong to the family Diplodocidae.

They are well known for some of their body parts like the Kaatedocus skull and cervical vertebrae which were collected from the lower part of the Morrison formation. This species was described in 2012 by Emanuel Tschopp and Octávio Mateus.

Bones of the Kaatedocus siberi and the sauropod were uncovered on the land of rancher Barker Howe near Shell, in Big Horn County by the Kaatedocus American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) which was headed by Barnum Brown.

Their classification can be made as Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Sauropodomorpha,‭ ‬Diplodocidae,‭ ‬and Diplodocinae.‭ Earlier, many fossils of this animal were collected, but were destroyed in a fire.

If you wish to know more about dinosaurs, you can check out the Brontosaurus and the Orodromeus.

Kaatedocus Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce Kaatedocus?

Kaatedocus siberi is pronounced as 'Kaat-e-doe-kus.'

What type of dinosaur was a Kaatedocus?

The Kaatedocus siberi was a type of dinosaur first recovered in‭ ‬1934‭ ‬and subsequently assigned to the genus Barosaurus. Its generic name means 'small beam' and the specific name honors Siber.

It is a sauropod dinosaur that used to live in North America 150 years ago during the late Jurassic period. It is well known for its toothy smile and is the ancestor of the species diplodocus of the order diplodocid.

Its name translation is known as small diplodocus. Paleontologist Barnum Brown led an expedition in 1934 at the Morrison formation in Wyoming to uncover new dinosaur fossils.

What geological period did the Kaatedocus roam the earth?

Sauropod dinosaurs roamed about 245 and 66 million years ago, and this era was named the Mesozoic era, which was many million years before the first modern humans, homo sapiens, appeared.

When did the Kaatedocus become extinct?

The study reveals that one group of sauropods, the Titanosaurs, had replaced all others and had a near-global distribution. The Titanosaurs died out in the Cretaceous–Paleogene period extinction event.

Where did a Kaatedocus live?

They are herbivore sauropods who used to live in the late Jurassic period and inhabited North America. Still, fossils of these sauropods are found in places like the Kimmeridgian stage in Wyoming.

They lived in terrestrial habitats, and only one of the specimen has been found by paleontologists. They survived from 157.3 million years ago to 152.1 million years ago and were first discovered by Emanuel Tschopp and Octávio Mateus in 2012.

What was a Kaatedocus's habitat?

Barosaurus dinosaurs are mostly found having lived in the MorrisonFormation from the early Jurassic period in Utah and South Dakota. It was present in stratigraphic zones two to five. According to references, they are closely related to the similar species diplodocus of the order diplodocid.

Who did a Kaatedocus live with?

They were usually seen moving in herds and have been found preserved in groups or flocks. A closer analysis in 2012 by Emanuel Tschopp and Octavio Mateus revealed that it was, in fact, its own species. It was named the Kaatedocus siberi, which means 'Siber's small Diplodocus.'

How long did a Kaatedocus live?

The Siber has the same life expectancy as that of elephants in this new generation. They lived for around 70-80 years, which is similar to sauropods and barosauruses.

How did they reproduce?

Paleontologist Barnum Brown led a new expedition in the Morrison formation in Wyoming to uncover new dinosaur fossils in the year 1934. These dinosaurs reproduced by laying eggs.

Paleontologists found only one specimen of this species and preserved in history by humans and their ancestors. The reproduction process of these northern American animals is quite new and different from those of elephants and other big animals, and it is assumed that a male sauropod would probably have to rear up at an oblique angle.

The female would have assisted by moving her tail. They were a small species compared to brontosaurs that must have had a different method of mating.

Kaatedocus Fun Facts

What did a Kaatedocus look like?

It has been discovered that they were small in size compared to sauropods with a length of 40-46 ft (12-14 m) and weight up to 8 tons (7,257.48 kg). This research was first done by Emanuel Tschopp and Octávio Mateus.

They have also been compared to similar species of a diplodocus, which measured over 90 ft (27 m) long and 20 tons (18,143 kg) in weight.

According to references collected by scientists and research made by them, it came to existence that it was one of the earlier sauropods, coming from the earlier Jurassic period approximately 150 million years ago. Still, it is said that they resemble their ancestors, the diplodocus having the same long neck, horizontal body and skull.

The Kaatedocus tail description shows that it had a whip-like shape and it had a very toothy grin.

They are well known for their teeth and the way they chewed their food. Their teeth allowed them to feed on strip plants like ferns.

How many bones did a Kaatedocus have?

The accurate number of bones is not known as they were destroyed in an accidental fire in 2012. Very few remains are left of this dinosaur which came to be known in 2015.

A partial postcranial skeleton had been done by Antunes and Mateus (MIGM 4978, 4798, 4801–4810, 4938, 4944, 4950, 4952, 4958, 4964–4966, 4981–4982, 4985, 8807, 8793–87934) and this specimen includes 28 vertebrae, ribs, forearm bones, a possible shoulder blade, chevrons, humeri, and a partial left pelvis.

How did they communicate?

Their means of communication is not mentioned, but from pictures and its description in some cases, even the skull makes evidence of the dinosaur's 'smiling' appearance. However, this does not show how they use to communicate with each other.

How big was a Kaatedocus?

The description can be done by the length, which is 590.55 in (15 m) long and 40-46 ft (12-14 m) tall, which makes them huge dinosaurs. They were 30 times larger than the Bactrian camel.

How fast could a Kaatedocus move?

According to scientists at the AMNH, these animals could not move fast. They had four pillar-like legs that were built to support its massive size instead of allowing it to sprint away quickly.

How much did a Kaatedocus weigh?

They weighed around 8 tons (7,257.48 kg). They were five times heavier and bigger than the minke whale.

What were the male and female names of the species?

Male and female sauropods and barosauruses are not named specifically. Therefore, they are simply known as male sauropod dinosaurs and female sauropod dinosaurs in general.

What would you call a baby Kaatedocus?

The baby Kaatedocus's name is generally described as a young or baby sauropod dinosaur.

What did they eat?

They are herbivores like horses, highland cattle, and other similar animals. Therefore, the Kaatedocus diet consists of plant materials as they are plant eaters. They swept their necks in long half circles or arcs towards the ground when feeding, according to research.

They had different feeding styles compared to the diplodocid. Due to their long necks, they may have preferred vegetation that was high off the ground. Vegetation and plants were part of the Kaatedocus habitat.

How aggressive were they?

This extinct dinosaur has been believed to be calm in nature, compared to other carnivore predators or dinosaurs.

Did you know...

Bones of the Kaatedocus siberi and sauropod bones were uncovered on the land of rancher Barker Howe near Shell, in Big Horn County by the AMNH, headed by Barnum Brown, and financed by the Sinclair Oil Corporation.

Would they bite?

Yes, they might bite and as they are well known for their strong, sharp teeth, they are experts in eating and chewing their prey very easily. But, on the positive side, they are herbivores. Therefore, they may not pose any threat to humans if they were to still exist. Since they were land-dwellers it is unlikely they were slimy.

Why did they have such a long neck?

They had long necks so that they could easily reach tall areas for their food without moving their huge bodies as they were cumbersome in weight.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Harpactognathus facts and Yinlong facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Kaatedocus coloring pages.