Diplodocus is a very famous giant Jurassic plant-eater. It was a huge, long-necked dinosaur, (more than) 30 meters (100 feet) long! In fact, it is the longest complete dinosaur skeleton ever discovered. Since its hind legs were longer than its front legs, this tells us that Diplodocus probably ate plants that were low to the ground. It was so big, however, that it could push trees over in order to get the leaves at the top down to the ground! It would probably stand on its hind legs to push, but it could not hold that pose for very long.[2]
Diplodocus is the namesake of the diplodocid family - long neck, pillar-like legs, long tapering tail and enormous size. It had, like the other family members, peg-like teeth in an elongated head that seemed very small for such a large creature. There is much speculation about how much these creatures needed to eat and how such a small head could ingest enough food to fuel such a large body. Some scientists have stated that these huge, small-headed creatures would have needed to eat every waking moment in order to provide enough food to keep such a large body alive.[2]
Like many other large sauropods, Diplodocus probably swallowed stones which it kept in a gizzard similar to that found in a chicken to facilitate digesting food. The tough plant fibers would spend time in the gizzard stewing and being ground up by the stones. There is some speculation about the use of the very long tail of Diplodocus and other members of its family. If it was used as a weapon, it would be very deadly. Because of its length, the speed at the tip, if swung forcefully, would have been very high, possibly faster than the speed of sound.[2]
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Wikipedia has a more detailed and comprehensive article on Diplodocus |
Jurassic Park Adventures: Survivor
Diplodocus was one of the dinosaurs recreated by InGen that went wild on Isla Sorna after the hurricane.
It was one of the dinosaurs Eric Kirby saw during his stay on the island.
Jurassic Park III: Park Builder
Diplodocus and Seismosaurus (now classified as a species of Diplodocus called Diplodocus hallorum) can be created in Jurassic Park III: Park Builder.
Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis
Diplodocus was planned for the video game Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis but was cut before the game's release, leaving only its name on an in-game file.[3]
Jurassic World: The Game
Diplodocus can be created in Jurassic World: The Game. Since June 10, 2015, a Level 40 Diplodocus could be mixed with a Level 40 Ankylosaurus to make the hybrid Ankylodocus.
LEGO Jurassic World
Though it does not physically appear in the game, the species Diplodocus hallorum is mentioned in one of the facts Mr. DNA gives to the player under its old synonm Seismosaurus. In the same fact Mr. DNA says that it was the largest dinosaur ever to exist, even though other dinosaurs, such as Argentinosaurus, have proven to be larger than D. hallorum.
Behind the scenes
Diplodocus in the Jurassic World storyboard.
In the storyboard for Jurassic World Diplodocus was supposed to be one of the dinosaurs living in the Jurassic World park but was replaced by its relative Apatosaurus in the final film.[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Wikipedia, Diplodocus#Description.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Jurassic Park Institute, Dinopedia, Diplodocus.
- ↑ Dinosaurs cut from Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis.
- ↑ davelowerystoryboards - Jurassic World (July 31, 2015) Retrieved from http://dlstoryboards.blogspot.com/2015/07/jurassic-world_31.html