1. a large herbivorous sauropod dinosaur of the Jurassic period, characterized by a long neck and tail and a relatively small head
Usage: paleontology; also formerly called brontosaurus

Examples

• The apatosaurus was one of the largest land animals ever to exist.
• Fossils of apatosaurus have been found in the western United States.
• An apatosaurus could weigh up to 30 tons despite its small brain.
• The long neck of an apatosaurus allowed it to reach vegetation high in trees.
• Children often learn about the apatosaurus in dinosaur exhibits at natural history museums.