Abydosaurus mcintoshi (Chure et al., 2010) - sauropod dinosaur skull from the Cretaceous of Utah, USA. (image from public signage; DNM 16488, Dinosaur National Monument, Utah, USA)

Sauropod dinosaurs were the largest terrestrial animals ever. They all have the same basic body plan: large body with four walking legs, very long neck & tail, and a small head relative to body size. Sauropods were herbivores, and are often perceived as holding their heads & necks up high to reach vegetation normally out of reach to other organisms. Modern reconstructions of many sauropod species depict them with heads and necks held close to the horizontal, or at low angles above the horizontal.

From exhibit signage:

For over 105 million years, Abydosaurus mcintoshi was buried deep underground. A paleontologist in the late 1990s noticed a limb bone sticking out of the Cedar Mountain rock layer. This layer is 43 million years younger than the dinosaur fossils in the Morrison Formation. Further exploration revealed many fossils, including four skulls belonging to the ancient Abydosaurus. Skull bones are very fragile and rarely survive the fossilization process. Excavated specimens are often headless wonders. Even just one skull is a rare find, but four is incredible!

Like other sauropods, Aybdosaurus was a long-necked, long-tailed dinosaur that spanned over 30 feet and fed on plants. Research continues so that scientists can determine more about the animal's life and habits.

Classification: Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Sauropoda, Brachiosauridae

Stratigraphy: Mussentuchit Member, Cedar Mountain Formation, Albian Stage, upper Lower Cretaceous

Locality: Dinosaur National Monument, northern Uintah County, northeastern Utah, USA

See info. at: <a href="https://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Abydosaurus" rel="noreferrer nofollow">wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Abydosaurus</a> and <a href="https://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Sauropoda" rel="noreferrer nofollow">wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Sauropoda</a> and