Brachiosaurus Re-evaluated: Giant of the Jurassic

Brachiosaurus, a long-necked, four-legged herbivore with a small brain, was long considered among Earth's largest dinosaurs. Unlike other sauropods, it had a giraffe-like build with longer front limbs and a high-held neck.

However, a pivotal 2009 study by Michael Taylor reclassified the East African "Brachiosaurus" as a distinct genus, Giraffatitan. The North American Brachiosaurus altithorax was identified as a subadult, suggesting it could grow significantly larger and heavier than Giraffatitan's estimated 23.3 tonnes, potentially reaching 28.7 tonnes. Much prior research attributed to Brachiosaurus actually pertains to Giraffatitan.

This Jurassic giant inhabited fern-filled grasslands and conifer forests, coexisting with species like Stegosaurus. Fully grown adults likely faced few threats. Debates over its nasal cavity once posited it lived semi-aquatically; modern research, however, indicates it was terrestrial, with nostrils likely near the snout tip, possibly part of a resonating chamber.

Brachiosaurus remains a cultural icon, appearing famously in "Jurassic Park" and inspiring an asteroid name. Original specimens, like the one discovered by Elmer Riggs, reside at Chicago's Field Museum. Notably, Berlin's famous "Brachiosaurus" skeleton, the world's tallest, is actually Giraffatitan.

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