Giraffatitan

Name meaning:

Giraffe titan

Period of life:

150–145 mya

Period:

Jurassic period

Habitat:

Woodlands

Taxonomy:

Sauropodomorphs

Countries:

Jurassic period Giraffatitan | 3D Dinopedia

Pterodactylus

Archaeopteryx

Giraffatitan (150–145 mya)

Giraffatitan is one of the largest and most unusual giants of the Jurassic Period. This member of the brachiosaur family lived in what is now Africa about 152 million years ago. It moved slowly through open woodland and the floodplains of ancient rivers, browsing on treetops that no other herbivorous dinosaur could reach.

Unlike its North American relative, Brachiosaurus, Giraffatitan had a lighter build. At a length of up to 25 meters, its mass is estimated at 40–48 tonnes — roughly the weight of eight adult African elephants. This colossal animal stood about 12 meters tall, three times higher than a modern giraffe, which inspired its name.

Despite its remarkable height, Giraffatitan could not hold its long neck — nearly 15 meters in length — fully upright. Most likely, it raised it at an angle in order to reach the highest branches. This giant walked on four powerful legs, with the front limbs slightly longer than the hind limbs, giving it a characteristic sloping profile.

Its diet consisted mainly of leaves, shoots, and other soft vegetation. Given its enormous size, Giraffatitan probably spent much of its time feeding, consuming vast amounts of greenery every day.

Even today, millions of years later, Giraffatitan continues to impress. Its skeleton, displayed at the Museum of Natural History in Berlin, is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the tallest mounted dinosaur skeleton in the world, reaching a height of 13.27 meters.

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