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68-456: It is located at 650 Perry Park Avenue, Larkspur CO 80118. The renaissance festival was begun in 1975 as a tear-down event in Morrison , Colorado , with 60 artisan booths. After two years, the grounds moved to Castle Rock before settling in its current location of Larkspur . It was founded by a man named Jim Paradise. His son, Jim Paradise Jr. is the current director of the fair. Part or all of

136-421: A Camarasaurus skull cast. Apatosaurus skeletons were mounted with speculative skull casts until 1970, when McIntosh showed that more robust skulls assigned to Diplodocus were more likely from Apatosaurus . Apatosaurus is a genus in the family Diplodocidae. It is one of the more basal genera, with only Amphicoelias and possibly a new, unnamed genus more primitive. Although the subfamily Apatosaurinae

204-401: A maximum length of 11–30% greater than average and a mass of approximately 33 t (32 long tons; 36 short tons). The cervical vertebrae of Apatosaurus are less elongated and more heavily constructed than those of Diplodocus , a diplodocid like Apatosaurus , and the bones of the leg are much stockier despite being longer, implying that Apatosaurus was a more robust animal. The tail

272-471: A paleontologist based in Philadelphia, about the discovery until eventually collecting several fossils and sending them to both paleontologists. Marsh named Atlantosaurus montanus based on some of the fossils sent and hired Lakes to collect the rest of the material at Morrison and send it to Yale, while Cope attempted to hire Lakes as well but was rejected. One of the best specimens collected by Lakes in 1877

340-426: A paper on diplodocoid systematics, and proposed that genera could be diagnosed by thirteen differing characters, and species separated based on six. The minimum number for generic separation was chosen based on the fact that A.   ajax and A.   louisae differ in twelve characters, and Diplodocus carnegiei and D.   hallorum differ in eleven characters. Thus, thirteen characters were chosen to validate

408-526: A premaxilla and maxilla from Lakes' original quarry in Morrison and referred the material to Apatosaurus ajax. Almost all modern paleontologists agreed with Riggs that the two dinosaurs should be classified together in a single genus. According to the rules of the ICZN (which governs the scientific names of animals), the name Apatosaurus , having been published first, has priority as the official name; Brontosaurus

476-456: A private residence. The Cliff House, built as the Morrison family home in 1873, now provides guest lodging. These landmarks represent a distinctive style of construction and are enduring monuments to George Morrison's contributions to Jefferson County's history. Stone for these structures was quarried in his "red sandstone quarry" at the end of the Dakota Hogback near Morrison. Building stone

544-551: A quarryman, Morrison developed the building stone and other industrial stone (lime, gypsum) of the Morrison/Mt. Vernon area, bringing fame to the region for its high-quality dimension stone . Two of the three stone buildings he built in Morrison, as well as the Mt. Vernon House further north, are still standing; all three surviving buildings are recognized historic sites (National Register of Historic Places, 1976). Before its demolition in 1982,

612-576: A separate genus again. The conclusion was based on a comparison of 477 morphological characteristics across 81 different dinosaur individuals. Among the many notable differences are the wider – and presumably stronger – neck of Apatosaurus species compared to B.   excelsus . Other species previously assigned to Apatosaurus , such as Elosaurus parvus and Eobrontosaurus yahnahpin were also reclassified as Brontosaurus . Some features proposed to separate Brontosaurus from Apatosaurus include: posterior dorsal vertebrae with

680-417: A single large claw on each forelimb, a feature shared by all sauropods more derived than Shunosaurus . The first three toes had claws on each hindlimb. The phalangeal formula is 2-1-1-1-1, meaning the innermost finger (phalanx) on the forelimb has two bones and the next has one. The single manual claw bone ( ungual ) is slightly curved and squarely truncated on the anterior end. The pelvic girdle includes

748-517: A study that analyzed the species and specimen relationships of Apatosaurus . They found that A.   louisae was the most basal species, followed by FMNH   P25112, and then a polytomy of A.   ajax , A.   parvus , and A.   excelsus . Their analysis was revised and expanded with many additional diplodocid specimens in 2015, which resolved the relationships of Apatosaurus slightly differently, and also supported separating Brontosaurus from Apatosaurus . The cladogram below

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816-416: A whip to create loud noises, or, as more recently suggested, as a sensory organ. The skull of Apatosaurus was confused with that of Camarasaurus and Brachiosaurus until 1909, when the holotype of A. louisae was found, and a complete skull just a few meters away from the front of the neck. Henry Fairfield Osborn disagreed with this association, and went on to mount a skeleton of Apatosaurus with

884-456: Is a member of the family Diplodocidae , a clade of gigantic sauropod dinosaurs . The family includes some of the longest creatures ever to walk the earth, including Diplodocus , Supersaurus , and Barosaurus . Apatosaurus is sometimes classified in the subfamily Apatosaurinae , which may also include Suuwassea , Supersaurus , and Brontosaurus . Othniel Charles Marsh described Apatosaurus as allied to Atlantosaurus within

952-562: Is a valid genus of sauropod distinct from Apatosaurus , but not all paleontologists agree with this division. As it existed in North America during the late Jurassic, Apatosaurus would have lived alongside dinosaurs such as Allosaurus , Camarasaurus , Diplodocus , and Stegosaurus . Apatosaurus was a large, long-necked, quadrupedal animal with a long, whip-like tail. Its forelimbs were slightly shorter than its hindlimbs . Most size estimates are based on specimen CM   3018,

1020-422: Is named after George Morrison (April 16, 1822 – June 11, 1895), a builder and businessman who left a mark not only on the town that now bears his name, but on the history of the area. A stonemason who immigrated from Canada to the Mt. Vernon area in 1859, he helped found the town of Mt. Vernon and built the Mt. Vernon House, seat of the territorial government under Robert Steele, and an important stop for travelers on

1088-456: Is squared, with only Nigersaurus having a squarer skull. The braincase of Apatosaurus is well preserved in specimen BYU   17096, which also preserved much of the skeleton. A phylogenetic analysis found that the braincase had a morphology similar to those of other diplodocoids. Some skulls of Apatosaurus have been found still in articulation with their teeth. Those teeth that have the enamel surface exposed do not show any scratches on

1156-648: Is the result of an analysis by Tschopp, Mateus, and Benson (2015). The authors analyzed most diplodocid type specimens separately to deduce which specimen belonged to which species and genus. YPM 1840 (" Atlantosaurus " immanis type) NSMT-PV 20375 AMNH 460 YPM 1860 ( Apatosaurus ajax type) CM 3018 ( Apatosaurus louisae type) YPM 1861 ( Apatosaurus laticollis type) YPM 1980 ( Brontosaurus excelsus type) YPM 1981 ( Brontosaurus amplus type) AMNH 5764 ( Amphicoelias altus type) FMNH P25112 Tate-001 ( Eobrontosaurus yahnahpin type) CM 566 ( Elosaurus parvus type) UM 15556 BYU 1252-18531 Apatosaurus

1224-576: The Grand River Valley near Fruita, Colorado , Field Museum of Natural History specimen P25112. Riggs thought that the deposits were similar in age to those of the Como Bluff in Wyoming from which Marsh had described Brontosaurus . Most of the skeleton was found, and after comparison with both Brontosaurus and Apatosaurus ajax , Riggs realized that the holotype of A.   ajax was immature, and thus

1292-804: The LoDaisKa site , it was inhabited for approximately 7,500 years. The Town of Morrison was officially incorporated following a unanimous election on January 9, 1906. Sixty-nine votes were cast. On February 13, 1906, a second election gave the newly created town a board of trustees. The first mayor was Thomas Cowan Morrison, son of the town's founder. The original trustees were Dr. Frank L. Luce, Charles Pike, Jacob Schneider, J.W. McLean, Peter O. Nelson, and Lawrence E. "Lee" LaGrow. Most of those names are well recognized as pioneers in Morrison's history. The new board held its first meeting on February 14, 1906. Morrison's first ordinances were passed in February and March 1906, as

1360-683: The Morrison Formation , the location of the excavations of Marsh and Cope. After the end of the Bone Wars, many major institutions in the eastern United States were inspired by the depictions and finds by Marsh and Cope to assemble their own dinosaur fossil collections. The competition to mount the first sauropod skeleton specifically was the most intense, with the American Museum of Natural History , Carnegie Museum of Natural History , and Field Museum of Natural History all sending expeditions to

1428-595: The Morrison Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places . According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km ), all of it land. Morrison is southwest of Denver and is located on State Highway 470 and Morrison Road. The Morrison postal ZIP code (80465) extends west up Turkey Creek Canyon and south of

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1496-416: The chevron bones, which are dissimilar to those of other dinosaurs; instead, the chevron bones of Apatosaurus showed similarities with those of mosasaurs , most likely that of the representative species Mosasaurus . By the end of excavations at Lakes' quarry in Morrison, several partial specimens of Apatosaurus had been collected, but only the type specimen of A. ajax can be confidently referred to

1564-434: The humerus of Apatosaurus resembles that of Camarasaurus , as well as Brontosaurus . However, the humeri of Brontosaurus and A.   ajax are more similar to each other than they are to A.   louisae . In 1936, Charles Gilmore noted that previous reconstructions of Apatosaurus forelimbs erroneously proposed that the radius and ulna could cross; in life they would have remained parallel. Apatosaurus had

1632-651: The type specimen of A.   louisae , reaching 21–23 m (69–75 ft) in length and 16.4–22.4 t (16.1–22.0 long tons; 18.1–24.7 short tons) in body mass. A 2015 study that estimated the mass of volumetric models of Dreadnoughtus , Apatosaurus , and Giraffatitan estimates CM   3018 at 21.8–38.2 t (21.5–37.6 long tons; 24.0–42.1 short tons), similar in mass to Dreadnoughtus . Some specimens of A.   ajax (such as OMNH   1670) represent individuals 11–30% longer, suggesting masses twice that of CM   3018 or 32.7–72.6 t (32.2–71.5 long tons; 36.0–80.0 short tons), potentially rivaling

1700-510: The 1970s when John Stanton McIntosh and David Berman redescribed the skulls of Diplodocus and Apatosaurus . They found that though he never published his opinion, Holland was almost certainly correct, that Apatosaurus had a Diplodocus -like skull. According to them, many skulls long thought to pertain to Diplodocus might instead be those of Apatosaurus . They reassigned multiple skulls to Apatosaurus based on associated and closely associated vertebrae. Even though they supported Holland, it

1768-546: The 20th and early 21st centuries. It was not until 1909 that an Apatosaurus skull was found during the first expedition, led by Earl Douglass , to what would become known as the Carnegie Quarry at Dinosaur National Monument . The skull was found a short distance from a skeleton (specimen CM   3018) identified as the new species Apatosaurus louisae , named after Louise Carnegie , wife of Andrew Carnegie , who funded field research to find complete dinosaur skeletons in

1836-610: The American West. The skull was designated CM   11162; it was very similar to the skull of Diplodocus . Another smaller skeleton of A.   louisae was found nearby CM   11162 and CM   3018. The skull was accepted as belonging to the Apatosaurus specimen by Douglass and Carnegie Museum director William H. Holland, although other scientists – most notably Osborn – rejected this identification. Holland defended his view in 1914 in an address to

1904-669: The Colorado state fossil, Stegosaurus . The Morrison Formation covers parts of thirteen western states and has yielded much of our understanding of the extinct animals that lived in the West so long ago. In 1877, the holotypic remains of the dinosaurs Stegosaurus armatus and Apatosaurus ajax were discovered near Morrison by Arthur Lakes . The majority of these fossils were shipped to Othniel Charles Marsh at Yale's Peabody Museum of Natural History in New Haven, Connecticut. These finds from

1972-581: The Festival's current property in Larkspur was purchased from the historic American Federation of Human Rights Headquarters , which remains adjacent, in 1975. The 2020 season of the festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic , with the 46th edition of the festival deferred to 2021. The festival features over 200 artisan shops and hundreds of costumed performers. The festival also hosts weddings in accordance to

2040-463: The MNHM reported rare adult Stegosaurus tracks from the Morrison area. A year later the first hatchling Stegosaurus tracks were reported. These fossils are on display at the museum. Cretaceous -age dinosaur tracks and one of Lakes' historic dig sites can still be viewed on what is now known as Dinosaur Ridge east of Morrison. Also located near Morrison is a significant archaeological site ; known as

2108-808: The Morrison area figured in the 19th century " Bone Wars " between rival paleontologists Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope . In 1896, the Late Jurassic section of sedimentary rock excavated by Lakes was formally named the Morrison Formation for the town near the prominent outcrops where it was described (Eldridge, 1896). In 1944, a type locality was designated at the roadcut along the north side of W. Alameda Parkway, 2 miles (3 km) north of Morrison, in SE/4 sec. 23, T. 4 S., R. 70 W. (Waldschmidt and LeRoy, 1944). The Morrison Natural History Museum houses and displays some fossils found by Lakes, and museum staff have begun reworking Lakes' original digs at Quarry 10. In 2006,

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2176-608: The Mt. Vernon Toll Road from Denver to the goldfields of the Rocky Mountains. He became a U.S. citizen on May 22, 1862. George Morrison later moved south to Bear Creek , where he founded the Morrison Stone, Lime, and Town Co., and in 1874 platted the town that became known as Morrison, or briefly as Mt. Morrison. With Gov. John Evans , he was instrumental in bringing the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad to Morrison in 1874. As

2244-624: The Paleontological Society of America, yet he left the Carnegie Museum mount headless. While some thought Holland was attempting to avoid conflict with Osborn, others suspected Holland was waiting until an articulated skull and neck were found to confirm the association of the skull and skeleton. After Holland's death in 1934, museum staff placed a cast of a Camarasaurus skull on the mount. While most other museums were using cast or sculpted Camarasaurus skulls on Apatosaurus mounts,

2312-462: The Yale Peabody Museum decided to sculpt a skull based on the lower jaw of a Camarasaurus , with the cranium based on Marsh's 1891 illustration of the skull. The skull also included forward-pointing nasals – something unusual for any dinosaur – and fenestrae differing from both the drawing and other skulls. No Apatosaurus skull was mentioned in literature until

2380-424: The body. The large neck was filled with an extensive system of weight-saving air sacs. Apatosaurus , like its close relative Supersaurus , has tall neural spines, which make up more than half the height of the individual bones of its vertebrae. The shape of the tail is unusual for a diplodocid; it is comparatively slender because of the rapidly decreasing height of the vertebral spines with increasing distance from

2448-422: The centrum longer than wide; the scapula rear to the acromial edge and the distal blade being excavated; the acromial edge of the distal scapular blade bearing a rounded expansion; and the ratio of the proximodistal length to transverse breadth of the astragalus 0.55 or greater. Sauropod expert Michael D'Emic pointed out that the criteria chosen were to an extent arbitrary and that they would require abandoning

2516-567: The features distinguishing the genera were not valid. Since Apatosaurus was the earlier name, Brontosaurus should be considered a junior synonym of Apatosaurus . Because of this, Riggs recombined Brontosaurus excelsus as Apatosaurus excelsus . Based on comparisons with other species proposed to belong to Apatosaurus , Riggs also determined that the Field Columbian Museum specimen was likely most similar to A.   excelsus . Despite Riggs' publication, Henry Fairfield Osborn , who

2584-651: The first-known species, A. ajax , in 1877, and a second species, A. louisae , was discovered and named by William H. Holland in 1916. Apatosaurus lived about 152 to 151 million years ago (mya), during the late Kimmeridgian to early Tithonian age, and are now known from fossils in the Morrison Formation of modern-day Colorado , Oklahoma , New Mexico , Wyoming , and Utah in the United States. Apatosaurus had an average length of 21–23 m (69–75 ft), and an average mass of 16.4–22.4 t (16.1–22.0 long tons; 18.1–24.7 short tons). A few specimens indicate

2652-412: The ground than in diplodocines, and have vertebrae and ribs that are narrower towards the top of the neck, making the neck nearly triangular in cross-section. In Apatosaurus louisae , the atlas - axis complex of the first cervicals is nearly fused. The dorsal ribs are not fused or tightly attached to their vertebrae and are instead loosely articulated. Apatosaurus has ten dorsal ribs on either side of

2720-489: The hips. Apatosaurus also had very long ribs compared to most other diplodocids, giving it an unusually deep chest. As in other diplodocids, the tail transformed into a whip-like structure towards the end. The limb bones are also very robust. Within Apatosaurinae , the scapula of Apatosaurus louisae is intermediate in morphology between those of A.   ajax and Brontosaurus excelsus . The arm bones are stout, so

2788-608: The innermost digits; the digit formula is 3-4-5-3-2. The first metatarsal is the stoutest, a feature shared among diplodocids. The first Apatosaurus fossils were discovered by Arthur Lakes, a local miner, and his friend Henry C. Beckwith in the spring of 1877 in Morrison, a town in the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Jefferson County, Colorado . Arthur Lakes wrote to Othniel Charles Marsh , Professor of Paleontology at Yale University , and Edward Drinker Cope ,

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2856-458: The largest titanosaurs . However, the upper size estimate of OMNH   1670 is likely an exaggeration, with the size estimates revised in 2020 at 30 m (98 ft) in length and 33 t (36 short tons) in body mass based on volumetric analysis. The skull is small in relation to the size of the animal. The jaws are lined with spatulate (chisel-like) teeth suited to an herbivorous diet. The snout of Apatosaurus and similar diplodocoids

2924-443: The museum thought the skull of this massive creature might look like was made. This was not a delicate skull like that of Diplodocus  – which was later found to be more accurate – but was based on "the biggest, thickest, strongest skull bones, lower jaws and tooth crowns from three different quarries". These skulls were likely those of Camarasaurus , the only other sauropod for which good skull material

2992-538: The name Brontosaurus again if newer analyzes obtained different results. Mammal paleontologist Donald Prothero criticized the mass media reaction to this study as superficial and premature, concluding that he would keep "Brontosaurus" in quotes and not treat the name as a valid genus. Many species of Apatosaurus have been designated from scant material. Marsh named as many species as he could, which resulted in many being based upon fragmentary and indistinguishable remains. In 2005, Paul Upchurch and colleagues published

3060-533: The now-defunct group Atlantosauridae . In 1878, Marsh raised his family to the rank of suborder, including Apatosaurus , Atlantosaurus , Morosaurus (= Camarasaurus ) and Diplodocus . He classified this group within Sauropoda, a group he erected in the same study. In 1903, Elmer S. Riggs said the name Sauropoda would be a junior synonym of earlier names; he grouped Apatosaurus within Opisthocoelia . Sauropoda

3128-440: The original Evergreen Hotel, built by George Morrison in 1874, served as the first home of Sacred Heart College (now Regis University ), and later as the Mt. Morrison Casino, where John Brisben Walker entertained many of the dignitaries he brought to the foothills as part of his promotional enterprises. The Morrison Schoolhouse he built served the town's educational needs from its construction in 1875 until 1955, and stands today as

3196-558: The original board began the process of managing the town's affairs. The first set a fiscal year beginning March 1, directed the clerk to certify valuation and the board to levy taxes based thereon, and directed the town treasurer to collect funds from the county treasurer. Pete Morrison , grandson of the town's founder and son of the first mayor, achieved fame during the early 1900s as a cowboy star in silent film , and ultimately had his own studio, Lariat Productions, in Hollywood. In 1976,

3264-423: The robust ilia , and the fused (co-ossified) pubes and ischia . The femora of Apatosaurus are very stout and represent some of the most robust femora of any member of Sauropoda. The tibia and fibula bones are different from the slender bones of Diplodocus but are nearly indistinguishable from those of Camarasaurus . The fibula is longer and slenderer than the tibia. The foot of Apatosaurus has three claws on

3332-567: The separation of genera. The six differing features for specific separation were chosen by counting the number of differing features in separate specimens generally agreed to represent one species, with only one differing character in D.   carnegiei and A.   louisae , but five differing features in B.   excelsus . Therefore, Tschopp et   al. argued that Apatosaurus excelsus , originally classified as Brontosaurus excelsus , had enough morphological differences from other species of Apatosaurus that it warranted being reclassified as

3400-404: The site. Later in 1884, Othniel Marsh named Diplodocus lacustris based on a chimeric partial dentary, snout, and several teeth collected by Lakes in 1877 at Morrison. In 2013, it was suggested that the dentary of D. lacustris and its teeth were actually from Apatosaurus ajax based on its proximity to the type braincase of A. ajax . All specimens currently considered Apatosaurus were from

3468-607: The species. During excavation and transportation, the bones of the holotype skeleton were mixed with those of another Apatosaurine individual originally described as Atlantosaurus immanis ; as a consequence, some elements cannot be ascribed to either specimen with confidence. Marsh distinguished the new genus Apatosaurus from Atlantosaurus on the basis of the number of sacral vertebrae, with Apatosaurus possessing three and Atlantosaurus four. Recent research shows that traits usually used to distinguish taxa at this time were actually widespread across several taxa, causing many of

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3536-725: The surface; instead, they display a sugary texture and little wear. Like those of other sauropods, the neck vertebrae are deeply bifurcated; they carried neural spines with a large trough in the middle, resulting in a wide, deep neck. The vertebral formula for the holotype of A.   louisae is 15   cervicals, 10   dorsals , 5   sacrals , and 82   caudals . The caudal vertebra number may vary, even within species. The cervical vertebrae of Apatosaurus and Brontosaurus are stouter and more robust than those of other diplodocids and were found to be most similar to Camarasaurus by Charles Whitney Gilmore . In addition, they support cervical ribs that extend farther towards

3604-514: The taxa named to be invalid, like Atlantosaurus . Two years later, Marsh announced the discovery of a larger and more complete specimen (YPM VP 1980) from Como Bluff , Wyoming , he gave this specimen the name Brontosaurus excelsus . Also at Como Bluff, the Hubbell brothers working for Edward Drinker Cope collected a tibia, fibula, scapula, and several caudal vertebrae along with other fragments belonging to Apatosaurus in 1877–78 at Cope's Quarry 5 at

3672-413: The themed weekends. Each of the eight weekends of the festival take on a different theme, influencing the performances, costumes, food, drink, art, shops, contests, and games throughout the festival grounds. Morrison, Colorado Morrison is a home rule municipality in Jefferson County, Colorado , United States. The population was 396 at the 2020 census . This small foothills settlement

3740-455: The town's $ 2.6 million budget comes from traffic fines. More than 90% of police activity is issuing speeding tickets. Apatosaurus Apatosaurus ( / ə ˌ p æ t ə ˈ s ɔːr ə s / ; meaning "deceptive lizard") is a genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Jurassic period . Othniel Charles Marsh described and named

3808-501: The town. It thus applies to an area covering approximately 5,000 addresses. Because the Morrison Post Office serves this large area beyond the town boundaries proper, many events and people connected with "Morrison" are actually in unincorporated portions of Jefferson County. The local government features a mayor, town manager and a board of trustees. The town is infamous as a speed trap . Press reports indicate that about half

3876-401: The west to find the most complete sauropod specimen, bring it back to the home institution, and mount it in their fossil halls. The American Museum of Natural History was the first to launch an expedition, finding a well preserved skeleton (AMNH 460), which is occasionally assigned to Apatosaurus , is considered nearly complete; only the head, feet, and sections of the tail are missing, and it

3944-425: Was a strong opponent of Marsh and his taxa, labeled the Apatosaurus mount of the American Museum of Natural History Brontosaurus . Because of this decision the name Brontosaurus was commonly used outside of scientific literature for what Riggs considered Apatosaurus , and the museum's popularity meant that Brontosaurus became one of the best known dinosaurs, even though it was invalid throughout nearly all of

4012-547: Was a well preserved partial postcranial skeleton, including many vertebrae, and a partial braincase ( YPM VP 1860), which was sent to Marsh and named Apatosaurus ajax in November 1877. The composite term Apatosaurus comes from the Greek words apatē ( ἀπάτη )/ apatēlos ( ἀπατηλός ) meaning "deception"/"deceptive", and sauros ( σαῦρος ) meaning "lizard"; thus, "deceptive lizard". Marsh gave it this name based on

4080-556: Was also shipped to Denver , where it now comprises parts of the Brown Palace Hotel , Union Station , and "many of Denver's early day mansions". Mount Morrison behind Red Rocks Park is also named after George Morrison. In the late 1800s, an important regional geologic layer of Late Jurassic age, the Morrison Formation , was named after the town of Morrison, and is today famous as the first discovery site of three 150-million-year-old dinosaurs, Apatosaurus , Diplodocus , and

4148-399: Was considered a junior synonym and was therefore long discarded from formal use. Despite this, at least one paleontologist – Robert T. Bakker  – argued in the 1990s that A.   ajax and A.   excelsus were in fact sufficiently distinct for the latter to merit a separate genus. In 2015, Emanuel Tschopp, Octávio Mateus , and Roger Benson released

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4216-514: Was found to differ in both skull and neck features from A.   louisae , but shared many features of the cervical vertebrae with A.   ajax . Another well-preserved skull is Brigham Young University specimen 17096, a well-preserved skull and skeleton, with a preserved braincase. The specimen was found in Cactus Park Quarry in western Colorado . In 2013, Matthew Mossbrucker and several other authors published an abstract that described

4284-491: Was held above the ground during normal locomotion. Apatosaurus had a single claw on each forelimb and three on each hindlimb. The Apatosaurus skull, long thought to be similar to Camarasaurus , is much more similar to that of Diplodocus . Apatosaurus was a generalized browser that likely held its head elevated. To lighten its vertebrae, Apatosaurus had air sacs that made the bones internally full of holes. Like that of other diplodocids, its tail may have been used as

4352-402: Was known at the time. The mount construction was overseen by Adam Hermann, who failed to find Apatosaurus skulls. Hermann was forced to sculpt a stand-in skull by hand. Osborn said in a publication that the skull was "largely conjectural and based on that of Morosaurus " (now Camarasaurus ). In 1903, Elmer Riggs published a study that described a well-preserved skeleton of a diplodocid from

4420-399: Was named in 1929, the group was not used validly until an extensive 2015 study. Only Brontosaurus is also in the subfamily, with the other genera being considered synonyms or reclassified as diplodocines . Brontosaurus has long been considered a junior synonym of Apatosaurus ; its type species was reclassified as A.   excelsus in 1903. A 2015 study concluded that Brontosaurus

4488-451: Was noted that Apatosaurus might have possessed a Camarasaurus -like skull, based on a disarticulated Camarasaurus -like tooth found at the precise site where an Apatosaurus specimen was found years before. On October   20, 1979, after the publications by McIntosh and Berman, the first true skull of Apatosaurus was mounted on a skeleton in a museum, that of the Carnegie. In 1998, it

4556-471: Was suggested that the Felch Quarry skull that Marsh had included in his 1896 skeletal restoration instead belonged to Brachiosaurus . This was supported in 2020 with a redescription of the brachiosaurid material found at the Felch Quarry. In 2011, the first specimen of Apatosaurus where a skull was found articulated with its cervical vertebrae was described. This specimen, CMC   VP   7180,

4624-419: Was the first sauropod skeleton mounted. The specimen was found north of Medicine Bow, Wyoming , in 1898 by Walter Granger , and took the entire summer to extract. To complete the mount, sauropod feet that were discovered at the same quarry and a tail fashioned to appear as Marsh believed it should – but which had too few vertebrae – were added. In addition, a sculpted model of what

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