Diplodocus

Extinct

This animal is extinct. No living individuals remain.

Diplodocus was a long-necked, long-tailed sauropod dinosaur. Its small head and rows of slender teeth gathered vegetation while a huge four-legged body processed the plant material.

Diplodocus, AI-generated lifelike reconstruction — AI-generated reconstruction. Colors and soft tissues are interpretive.

At a glance

Diet: Herbivore
Food: Leaves and other vegetation.

Classification

Common name: Diplodocus
Browse group: Reptiles
Scientific name or taxon: Diplodocus
Taxon rank: genus
Family: Diplodocidae
Genus: Diplodocus
Source classification: Reptilia

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

Its name refers to bones beneath the tail.
It walked on four legs.
It ate vegetation.

Habitat and range

Diplodocus fossils come from the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation in the western United States. The sediments preserve an ancient ecosystem with other sauropods, predatory dinosaurs and smaller animals.

Appearance and adaptations

The neck extended the feeding reach, while an exceptionally long tail balanced the body. Distinctive paired structures beneath some tail vertebrae inspired the name, which means double beam.

Diet and behaviour

Leaves and other relatively soft vegetation supplied food. Neck posture and the exact use of the tail remain subjects of study. Museum skeletons are reconstructions informed by fossils, rather than direct records of every living posture.