Fun Seismosaurus Facts For Kids
Gallery
The Seismosaurus was a large sauropod dinosaur and it falls under the clade among the Diplodocus. In the Greek language, the meaning of their name is 'earthquake lizard' or 'earth-shaking lizard'. The fossils of these sauropod dinosaurs date back to the Late Jurassic period, from the Kimmeridgian to the Tithonian age.
Paleontologists at first suggested the theory that these dinosaurs were unique dinosaurs, but after in depth and enormous historical research, it was discovered they belonged to an already existing genus. From the specimens of these sauropods, it was discovered that these dinosaurs had more than 240 gastroliths which measured the size of grapefruit.
These gastroliths actually helped them to chew the hard parts of the plant in the stomach if they swallowed it directly.
It was the paleontologist David Gillette who in 1985 did a detailed study on this dinosaur species, though the fossils had been discovered in 1979. David Gillette took the fossil remains of these dinosaurs to the Museum of Natural History in New Mexico.
The Seismosaurus skeleton was not complete and only included the tail vertebrae, pelvis, and stomach parts with vertebrae and ribs. Their head was small like other sauropods.
If you enjoyed reading this article about the natural history of the Seismosaurus, then do read some interesting fun facts about other huge dinosaurs such as the Camelotia and Borealosaurus.
Seismosaurus Interesting Facts
How do you pronounce 'Seismosaurus'?
The pronunciation of this dinosaur is Seismosaurus is 'size-moe-sore-us'.
What type of dinosaur was a Seismosaurus?
The Seismosaurus was a herbivore, meaning it was a plant eater, sauropod dinosaur that was classified in the clade of Dinosauria, Saurischia, and infraorder of Sauropoda. They belong to the family of Diplodocidae and the genus Seismosaurus.
Originally, these Diplodocus and sauropod dinosaurs were scientifically named Seismosaurus halli, but later were named Seismosaurus hallorum. the type species of the genus is Seismosaurus hallorum. The fossil remains of these dinosaurs are at the Museum of Natural History in New Mexico
In which geological period did the Seismosaurus roam the earth?
The sauropod Seismosaurus roamed the earth in the geological period of the Late Jurassic period. This was somewhere between 159 million years ago to 144 million years ago in the Kimmeridgian to Tithonian age.
When did the Seismosaurus become Extinct?
These sauropods, Seismosaurus, became Extinct at the end of the Late Cretaceous period when all other dinosaurs were believed to be Extinct. The exact reason for their extinction is not known, but it could have been due to natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions.
Where did the Seismosaurus live?
This dinosaur, Seismosaurus, with a long neck lived in the Late Jurassic period, around 159 million years ago in New Mexico, North America. The fossils are believed to have been discovered in the Morrison Formation.
What was the Seismosaurus' habitat?
The Seismosaurus lived in the woodlands of North America from low to high vegetation regions of the place. These dinosaurs had long necks, so they must have brought their necks parallel to the ground to eat. The environmental condition of the Morrison Formation during the late Jurassic period consisted of mudflats, alluvial plains, swamps, and rivers.
Who did the Seismosaurus live with?
The Seismosaurus dinosaur lived in the Late Jurassic period and shared their habitat with the Stegosaurus, Allosaurus, and Brachiosaurus and did not have many predators due to their huge size. According to some paleontologists, the Seismosaurus may have stayed in a herd and migrated when there was a lack of food in the surroundings.
How long did a Seismosaurus live?
The Seismosaurus from New Mexico with a long neck and tail lived in the Late Jurassic period, between 159 million years ago to 144 million years ago. It is believed that these sauropod dinosaurs had a 100 year life span.
How did they reproduce?
The evidence of Seismosaurus reproduction is not very clear, but from a few resources about the history of this enormous shaking lizard, it is believed that the Seismosaurus reproduced by mating and laying eggs in clutches.
The female was more involved in the parental care of their babies and the male must have used some physical body gestures to lure the female to mate and reproduce.
Seismosaurus Fun Facts
What did Seismosaurus look like?
The Seismosaurus was an enormous large sauropod with a long neck and tail with a small head. They had huge, heavy-weighted bodies with short front legs.
Their feet had five toes with a claw on one toe to defend themselves from predators. A modern-day elephant's feet are similar to the feet of the Seismosaurus.
Many paleontologists have given the theory that the Seismosaurus dinosaur must have kept their necks parallel to the ground in such a way that they could move their heads to pump blood into their brains. The backbone vertebrae fossils had extra bones and the long tail had wedge-shaped bones to defend themselves from predators.
It is believed that the science behind this wedge-shaped bone was to crack the bones of predators. The Seismosaurus skeleton was not complete and only included the tail vertebrae, pelvis, and stomach parts with vertebrae and ribs.
How many bones did a Seismosaurus have?
The exact number of bones of this plant-eater is not measured and is unknown to the world.
How did they communicate?
The science behind the communication of these sauropods, among other sauropods, is unknown. However, other sauropods were believed to communicate using tactile, olfactory, and chemical cues. The males must have used some physical body gestures to attract the females and show their dominance.
How big were the Seismosaurus?
The Seismosaurus size was 150 ft (45.7 m) long in length and 84 ft (25.6 m) tall in height. The Seismosaurus length was 10 times bigger than African elephants.
How fast could a Seismosaurus move?
The Seismosaurus moved at a speed of 10 mph (16 kph).
How much did a Seismosaurus weigh?
The long-length size of the Seismosaurus meant this dinosaur weighed around 90.7 tons (82,300 kg).
What were the male and female names of the species?
Male and female dinosaurs have no specific name and are known by their general name.
What would you call a baby Seismosaurus?
The babies of Seismosaurus dinosaurs are called hatchlings or juveniles.
What did they eat?
Seismosaurus dinosaurs were herbivores and had blunt teeth like pegs for eating the hard parts of plants. According to Gillette, they had gastroliths, a type of stomach stone that was used to digest the hard parts of plants if swallowed without chewing.
They were even evident in the Seismosaurus skeleton. Their main diet was plant conifers, while other plants include gingkos, seed ferns, cycads, club mosses, and horsetail.
How aggressive were they?
The science behind whether they were aggressive or not is unknown. They would have, of course, been aggressive if they had been intruded on by predators such as the Tyrannosaurus rex. For their protection, they had a wedge-shaped tail and claws on their feet and toes.Â
Did you know...
The Argentinosaurus was bigger than the Seismosaurus. The Argentinosaurus was 110 ft (33.5 m) long and weighed 100 tons (90,718.5 kg). From the name itself, you will recognize that Argentinosaurus dinosaurs were from Argentina and their fossils date back to the Late Cretaceous period.
Why are they called Seismosaurus?
They are called Seismosaurus because of their heavyweight. The earth would shake and it would appear to be like an earthquake on earth. Even the meaning of their name is 'earth-shaking lizard' in the Greek language.
Is the Seismosaurus the biggest dinosaur?
Yes, they were included in the category of biggest dinosaurs. They were the longest dinosaurs. The Brachiosaurus are considered to be the biggest and largest herbivorous dinosaur.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other creatures from our Bothriospondylus facts, or Argyrosaurus facts for kids.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Seismosaurus coloring pages.
We Want Your Photos!
More for You
See All
Bachelor of Arts specializing in English, Bachelor of Education specializing in Secondary Education and Teaching, Master of Arts specializing in English
Anamika BalouriaBachelor of Arts specializing in English, Bachelor of Education specializing in Secondary Education and Teaching, Master of Arts specializing in English
Bachelor of Commerce specializing in Marketing and HR
Pradhanya RaoBachelor of Commerce specializing in Marketing and HR
With a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Christ University, Bangalore, Pradhanya's passion for the English language and literature led her to explore the field of content writing, where she has gained extensive experience in writing, reviewing, editing, and fact-checking. She has also earned certifications in Google Ads Search, Google Ads Display, and Social Media Marketing, showcasing her proficiency in digital marketing.
Disclaimer
1) Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the Buy Now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published but we cannot guarantee that on the time of reading. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
2) At Kidadl, we strive to recommend the very best activities and events. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability. Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
3) Because we are an educational resource, we have quotes and facts about a range of historical and modern figures. We do not endorse the actions of or rhetoric of all the people included in these collections, but we think they are important for growing minds to learn about under the guidance of parents or guardians.
