Fauna
Species · GBIF taxon 4967475

Dicraeosaurus hansemanni

Dicraeosaurus hansemanni

Dicraeosaurus hansemanni was a distinctive, medium-sized sauropod characterized by its unusually short, thick neck and tall, Y-shaped bifurcated neural spines running along its spine. These upright vertebral prongs supported powerful ligaments and muscle sheets that anchored a downward-sloping neck designed for low-to-mid-level browsing. Grazing across the lush subtropical riverbeds of Jurassic East Africa, it occupied a distinct ecological niche compared to towering contemporary sauropods like Giraffatitan.

PrehistoricSauropodHerbivore
Dicraeosaurus hansemanni reference
Licensed referenceFunkMonk / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Herbivore (ferns, horsetails, seed ferns, and low-growing gymnosperms)
Predators
  • Veterupristisaurus milneri
  • Ostafrikasaurus crassiserratus
  • Elaphrosaurus bambergi
ThreatsPredation by large theropod dinosaurs and severe seasonal droughts
HabitatsCoastal floodplains, tidal mudflats, and subtropical woodlands
Life spanApproximately 30–50 years
Classification
  1. FamilyDiplodocidae
  2. SpeciesDicraeosaurus hansemanni
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Extinct species known only from fossil remains; poses no risk.
Responsible observation
  • Museum viewing: Observe the mounted composite skeletons on display in natural history collections such as the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin.
  • Fossil study: Note the distinctive bifurcated neural spines along the neck, which distinguish it clearly from long-necked diplodocids.
Related species
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