Jurassic Morrison Diplodocus Tooth VF-JC-24-041

Diplodocus sp.

Morrison Formation

Upper Jurassic

Moffat County, Colorado

Here is an excellent specimen of a Diplodocus tooth prepared in its original matrix.  This example is 2.3 cm long and 4 mm wide at the base of the tooth.  The tooth does exhibit a little ware, but a ware facet is not fully developed.   The transition to root is not visible at the base of the specimen.  There is no repair or restoration other than filling of a few tiny natural fractures.

Diplodocus is a genus of diplodocid sauropod dinosaurs whose fossils were first discovered in 1877 by S. W. Williston. The generic name, coined by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1878, is a neo-Latin term derived from Greek for double beam, in reference to its double-beamed chevron bones located in the underside of the tail. Chevron bones of this particular form were initially believed to be unique to Diplodocus; since then, they have been discovered in other members of the diplodocid family as well as in non-diplodocid sauropods, such as Mamenchisaurus. It is now common scientific opinion that Seismosaurus hallorum is a species of Diplodocus.

This genus of dinosaurs lived in what is now mid-western North America at the end of the Jurassic period. Diplodocus is one of the more common dinosaur fossils found in the middle to upper Morrison Formation, between about 154 and 152 million years ago, during the late Kimmeridgian age.  The Morrison Formation records an environment and time dominated by gigantic sauropod dinosaurs, such as Apatosaurus, Barosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Brontosaurus, and Camarasaurus.

Diplodocus is among the most easily identifiable dinosaurs, with its typical sauropod shape, long neck and tail, and four sturdy legs. For many years, it was the longest dinosaur known. Its great size may have been a deterrent to the predators Allosaurus and Ceratosaurus: their remains have been found in the same strata, which suggests that they coexisted with Diplodocus.

Among the best-known sauropods, Diplodocus were very large, long-necked, quadrupedal animals, with long, whip-like tails. Their forelimbs were slightly shorter than their hind limbs, resulting in a largely horizontal posture. The skeletal structure of these long-necked, long-tailed animals supported by four sturdy legs have been compared with suspension bridges.  In fact, Diplodocus carnegii is currently one of the longest dinosaurs known from a complete skeleton with a total length of 24 meters (79 ft).  Modern mass estimates for Diplodocus carnegii have tended to be in the 12-metric-ton (13-short-ton) range.