Sauropodomorpha

Sauropodomorpha is an extinct clade of saurischian dinosaurs that includes the long-necked, herbivorous sauropods and their ancestral relatives. Early, more basal sauropodomorphs were bipedal, and the earliest show evidence of omnivorous or carnivorous diets. Over time, sauropodomorph evolution resulted in a shift to herbivorous diets, larger body sizes, and quadrupedal locomotion. The sauropods themselves generally grew to very large sizes, had long necks and tails, and became the largest animals to ever walk the Earth. The sauropods were the dominant terrestrial herbivores throughout much of the Mesozoic Era, from their origins in the Late Triassic until their decline and extinction at the end of the Cretaceous.

Sauropodomorpha

AbstractionBlue · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikipedia/Commons. May be a photograph of a specimen, or an artist’s reconstruction — an interpretation of a skeleton, since colour and soft tissue are almost never preserved.

On record

Recorded, not inferred
Also called
sauropodomorphPBDB
Sits inside
SaurischiaPBDB
Motility
actively mobilePBDB, for Osteichthyes
Environment
terrestrialPBDB, for Diapsida

Time the record covers

At least 169 million years on record.

The record covers at least 241.464 Mya to 72.2 Mya. No occurrence read is dated outside 247 Mya to 66 Mya.

Early Triassic — about 0 of 4180 occurrencesMiddle Triassic — about 6 of 4180 occurrencesLate Triassic — about 322 of 4180 occurrencesLate TriassicEarly Jurassic — about 358 of 4180 occurrencesEarly JurassicMiddle Jurassic — about 220 of 4180 occurrencesLate Jurassic — about 1062 of 4180 occurrencesLate JurassicEarly Cretaceous — about 868 of 4180 occurrencesEarly CretaceousLate Cretaceous — about 1345 of 4180 occurrencesLate CretaceousPaleocene — about 0 of 4180 occurrences251–244 Mya — about 2 occurrences244–238 Mya — about 4 occurrences238–232 Mya — about 18 occurrences232–226 Mya — about 33 occurrences226–219 Mya — about 62 occurrences219–213 Mya — about 68 occurrences213–207 Mya — about 68 occurrences207–200 Mya — about 111 occurrences200–194 Mya — about 179 occurrences194–188 Mya — about 67 occurrences188–182 Mya — about 40 occurrences182–175 Mya — about 31 occurrences175–169 Mya — about 43 occurrences169–163 Mya — about 164 occurrences163–157 Mya — about 61 occurrences157–150 Mya — about 380 occurrences150–144 Mya — about 573 occurrences144–138 Mya — about 146 occurrences138–131 Mya — about 107 occurrences131–125 Mya — about 87 occurrences125–119 Mya — about 205 occurrences119–113 Mya — about 150 occurrences113–106 Mya — about 139 occurrences106–100 Mya — about 110 occurrences100–94 Mya — about 154 occurrences94–87 Mya — about 78 occurrences87–81 Mya — about 122 occurrences81–75 Mya — about 148 occurrences75–69 Mya — about 502 occurrences69–62 Mya — about 328 occurrences241.464 Mya72.2 Mya251 Mya62 Mya

4,180 occurrences of Sauropodomorpha on record, most of them in the Late Cretaceous. Bar height is expected occurrences, not a count: each fossil is spread across the span it is dated to, so a tall narrow bar means tight dating and a low wide one means loose.

When

4,180 occurrences

These are dates about fossils, not the animal: the record can only begin after it arose and end before it died out, so either end may reach further. Shares are expected occurrences: a fossil dated to a span is counted partly in each period it straddles. More on what this infers.

Found in

623 formations

Morrison — 39.07°N, 108.70°WMorrison — 42.04°N, 106.39°WMorrison — 39.65°N, 105.19°WMorrison — 42.15°N, 105.92°WMorrison — 42.02°N, 106.05°WMorrison — 43.38°N, 108.12°WMorrison — 43.63°N, 108.20°WMorrison — 40.42°N, 109.21°WMorrison — 35.20°N, 107.13°WMorrison — 40.44°N, 109.30°WMorrison — 38.12°N, 109.32°WMorrison — 38.54°N, 105.22°WMorrison — 38.81°N, 108.39°WMorrison — 41.91°N, 106.01°WMorrison — 45.25°N, 108.75°WMorrison — 36.21°N, 103.63°WMorrison — 35.56°N, 106.77°WMorrison — 38.45°N, 107.40°WMorrison — 41.88°N, 106.08°WMorrison — 39.24°N, 109.00°WMorrison — 38.58°N, 108.40°WMorrison — 44.54°N, 107.78°WMorrison — 44.65°N, 107.82°WMorrison — 41.97°N, 106.29°WMorrison — 38.73°N, 111.27°WMorrison — 38.55°N, 105.24°WMorrison — 43.65°N, 106.78°WMorrison — 36.90°N, 102.83°WMorrison — 36.93°N, 102.97°WMorrison — 38.54°N, 106.81°WMorrison — 38.64°N, 108.19°WMorrison — 45.54°N, 110.62°WMorrison — 44.47°N, 103.31°WMorrison — 39.01°N, 110.37°WMorrison — 44.53°N, 103.83°WMorrison — 44.18°N, 103.34°WMorrison — 43.41°N, 103.41°WMorrison — 44.46°N, 104.73°WMorrison — 44.25°N, 104.41°WMorrison — 45.45°N, 108.10°WMorrison — 35.32°N, 106.31°WMorrison — 35.58°N, 106.94°WMorrison — 37.53°N, 103.68°WMorrison — 38.32°N, 108.83°WMorrison — 41.92°N, 106.36°WMorrison — 39.17°N, 108.77°WMorrison — 37.02°N, 109.56°WMorrison — 39.08°N, 108.65°WMorrison — 42.15°N, 105.89°WMorrison — 44.23°N, 103.38°WMorrison — 40.50°N, 109.17°WMorrison — 44.02°N, 104.24°WMorrison — 44.84°N, 109.21°WMorrison — 44.09°N, 106.78°WMorrison — 44.68°N, 104.61°WMorrison — 42.18°N, 106.32°WMorrison — 38.25°N, 110.81°WMorrison — 38.71°N, 109.74°WMorrison — 38.92°N, 109.94°WMorrison — 38.97°N, 109.32°WElliot — 28.51°S, 28.62°EElliot — 30.57°S, 27.62°EElliot — 31.23°S, 27.00°EElliot — 30.95°S, 26.62°EElliot — 28.52°S, 28.42°EElliot — 28.62°S, 28.22°EElliot — 30.62°S, 27.17°EElliot — 31.08°S, 28.37°EElliot — 30.62°S, 27.35°EElliot — 30.55°S, 27.43°EElliot — 28.50°S, 28.23°EElliot — 30.70°S, 27.23°EElliot — 31.08°S, 26.78°EElliot — 26.18°S, 25.58°EElliot — 28.52°S, 29.17°EElliot — 29.11°S, 27.32°EElliot — 28.47°S, 27.82°EElliot — 30.57°S, 27.43°EElliot — 29.50°S, 27.45°EElliot — 28.98°S, 27.37°EElliot — 28.53°S, 28.50°EElliot — 30.65°S, 26.00°EElliot — 29.22°S, 27.34°EElliot — 30.18°S, 28.59°EElliot — 31.15°S, 26.62°EElliot — 31.13°S, 27.10°EElliot — 29.13°S, 27.37°EElliot — 30.75°S, 27.10°EElliot — 30.63°S, 27.47°EElliot — 30.43°S, 27.57°EElliot — 28.42°S, 27.97°EElliot — 28.42°S, 28.50°EElliot — 28.62°S, 28.27°EElliot — 28.67°S, 28.25°EElliot — 28.87°S, 27.27°EElliot — 28.97°S, 27.32°EElliot — 29.03°S, 27.48°EElliot — 29.07°S, 27.50°EElliot — 28.50°S, 27.93°EElliot — 30.81°S, 27.72°EElliot — 30.50°S, 27.53°EElliot — 30.62°S, 27.80°EElliot — 28.68°S, 28.17°EElliot — 30.30°S, 27.08°EElliot — 30.88°S, 26.91°EElliot — 28.55°S, 27.95°EElliot — 28.62°S, 28.41°EElliot — 28.94°S, 27.06°EElliot — 27.24°S, 28.85°EElliot — 28.78°S, 27.23°EElliot — 28.90°S, 27.57°EElliot — 29.23°S, 27.35°EElliot — 30.39°S, 27.50°ETendaguru — 9.71°S, 39.23°ETendaguru — 9.69°S, 39.25°ETendaguru — 9.79°S, 39.12°ETendaguru — 9.80°S, 39.31°ELameta — 21.18°N, 80.37°ELameta — 23.35°N, 80.37°ELameta — 23.17°N, 79.97°ELameta — 23.06°N, 73.34°ELameta — 17.33°N, 78.21°ELameta — 20.25°N, 79.10°ELameta — 20.90°N, 79.28°ELameta — 20.75°N, 79.48°ELameta — 22.34°N, 74.79°ELameta — 23.50°N, 81.56°ELameta — 23.10°N, 73.38°ELameta — 22.99°N, 73.34°ELameta — 22.96°N, 74.22°ELameta — 22.95°N, 74.14°ELameta — 22.86°N, 73.34°ELameta — 20.75°N, 79.42°ELameta — 22.13°N, 74.38°ELameta — 23.17°N, 79.95°ELameta — 22.89°N, 74.28°ELameta — 23.21°N, 80.10°ELameta — 23.34°N, 80.18°ELameta — 23.37°N, 80.46°ELameta — 21.00°N, 79.18°ELameta — 23.09°N, 74.15°ELameta — 22.25°N, 74.61°ELameta — 22.14°N, 74.71°ELameta — 20.71°N, 79.29°ELameta — 23.17°N, 74.12°ELameta — 20.53°N, 79.27°ELameta — 23.11°N, 79.84°ELameta — 20.35°N, 79.05°ELameta — 22.29°N, 74.53°ELameta — 22.28°N, 74.60°ELameta — 21.42°N, 78.00°ELameta — 22.39°N, 75.25°ELameta — 22.37°N, 74.72°ELameta — 22.35°N, 74.75°EVitakri — 29.70°N, 69.40°EVitakri — 29.71°N, 69.49°EVitakri — 29.77°N, 69.45°EVitakri — 29.89°N, 69.70°EVitakri — 29.67°N, 69.59°EVitakri — 27.76°N, 67.17°EVitakri — 30.96°N, 69.14°EVitakri — 29.51°N, 69.87°EAllen — 39.30°S, 67.53°WAllen — 40.06°S, 66.80°WAllen — 38.76°S, 67.98°WAllen — 39.57°S, 66.98°WAllen — 38.82°S, 68.07°WAllen — 40.45°S, 66.62°WAllen — 37.52°S, 69.22°WAllen — 39.46°S, 67.34°WAllen — 39.45°S, 67.32°WAllen — 39.95°S, 66.57°WAllen — 39.94°S, 66.59°WAllen — 40.02°S, 66.71°WAllen — 40.04°S, 66.81°WAllen — 40.10°S, 66.87°WAllen — 39.75°S, 66.75°WAllen — 38.45°S, 68.69°WAllen — 39.13°S, 67.67°WAllen — 40.73°S, 67.17°WAllen — 39.50°S, 67.37°WLufeng — 24.67°N, 102.59°ELufeng — 25.13°N, 102.08°ELufeng — 25.68°N, 104.08°ELufeng — 25.17°N, 102.08°ELufeng — 25.53°N, 102.40°ELufeng — 25.14°N, 101.96°ELufeng — 25.59°N, 102.32°ELufeng — 24.96°N, 102.15°ELufeng — 25.00°N, 102.03°ELufeng — 34.12°N, 111.97°EVillar del Arzobispo — 40.66°N, 0.88°WVillar del Arzobispo — 38.67°N, 0.82°WVillar del Arzobispo — 40.12°N, 1.15°WVillar del Arzobispo — 40.63°N, 0.86°WVillar del Arzobispo — 40.28°N, 0.87°WVillar del Arzobispo — 40.69°N, 1.10°WVillar del Arzobispo — 40.56°N, 0.80°WVillar del Arzobispo — 40.58°N, 0.69°WVillar del Arzobispo — 39.93°N, 1.14°WVillar del Arzobispo — 40.37°N, 0.82°WVillar del Arzobispo — 40.24°N, 1.41°WVillar del Arzobispo — 40.28°N, 1.27°WVillar del Arzobispo — 40.67°N, 0.67°WVillar del Arzobispo — 39.90°N, 1.02°WVillar del Arzobispo — 40.35°N, 0.85°WVillar del Arzobispo — 40.33°N, 1.53°WReuchenette — 47.29°N, 7.38°EReuchenette — 47.18°N, 7.23°EReuchenette — 47.21°N, 7.27°EReuchenette — 47.21°N, 7.39°EReuchenette — 47.24°N, 7.48°EReuchenette — 47.41°N, 7.03°EReuchenette — 47.42°N, 7.11°ELourinhã — 39.04°N, 9.01°WLourinhã — 39.44°N, 9.21°WLourinhã — 39.24°N, 9.34°WLourinhã — 39.27°N, 9.33°WLourinhã — 39.80°N, 8.57°WLourinhã — 39.55°N, 8.98°WLourinhã — 39.43°N, 9.10°WLourinhã — 39.20°N, 8.15°WLourinhã — 39.11°N, 9.40°WLourinhã — 39.25°N, 9.22°WLourinhã — 39.33°N, 9.36°WLourinhã — 39.45°N, 9.21°WLourinhã — 39.85°N, 8.65°WLourinhã — 39.87°N, 8.60°WLourinhã — 39.27°N, 9.16°WLourinhã — 39.38°N, 9.32°WLourinhã — 39.17°N, 9.36°WLourinhã — 39.53°N, 9.13°WJindong — 34.91°N, 128.15°EJindong — 34.90°N, 128.15°EJindong — 34.99°N, 128.45°EJindong — 34.99°N, 128.40°EJindong — 35.07°N, 128.42°EJindong — 35.07°N, 128.28°EJindong — 35.43°N, 128.52°EJindong — 35.36°N, 128.41°EJindong — 35.10°N, 128.47°EAnacleto — 37.88°S, 68.52°WAnacleto — 38.20°S, 64.49°WAnacleto — 38.24°S, 64.40°WAnacleto — 38.84°S, 68.04°WAnacleto — 39.25°S, 68.72°WAnacleto — 37.87°S, 67.83°WAnacleto — 39.12°S, 67.65°WAnacleto — 38.82°S, 68.07°WAnacleto — 38.02°S, 68.50°WAnacleto — 38.09°S, 68.51°WAnacleto — 38.97°S, 68.05°WAnacleto — 37.45°S, 68.94°WAnacleto — 38.84°S, 68.84°WAnacleto — 37.39°S, 69.14°WAnacleto — 35.45°S, 69.73°WAnacleto — 37.13°S, 69.33°WAnacleto — 39.38°S, 67.69°WShaximiao — 28.70°N, 104.52°EShaximiao — 28.83°N, 104.13°EShaximiao — 29.41°N, 104.85°EShaximiao — 29.48°N, 104.37°EShaximiao — 32.37°N, 106.90°EShaximiao — 28.35°N, 104.78°EShaximiao — 30.10°N, 103.80°EShaximiao — 29.80°N, 104.85°EShaximiao — 30.00°N, 107.25°EShaximiao — 29.41°N, 104.77°EShaximiao — 29.22°N, 104.77°EShaximiao — 29.65°N, 104.07°EShaximiao — 30.94°N, 108.75°EShaximiao — 27.62°N, 105.55°EShaximiao — 30.85°N, 108.92°EShaximiao — 29.61°N, 104.19°EShaximiao — 29.36°N, 105.28°EWinton — 22.68°S, 143.57°EWinton — 22.18°S, 142.47°EWinton — 22.15°S, 142.57°EWinton — 22.25°S, 142.48°EWinton — 22.35°S, 143.09°EWinton — 24.42°S, 145.47°EWinton — 26.68°S, 142.59°EWinton — 22.09°S, 142.49°EWinton — 22.08°S, 143.51°EWinton — 22.38°S, 142.94°ESao Khua — 16.70°N, 102.25°ESao Khua — 16.68°N, 103.57°ESao Khua — 16.65°N, 102.25°ESao Khua — 16.13°N, 102.58°ESao Khua — 16.54°N, 104.14°ESao Khua — 16.43°N, 104.09°ESao Khua — 16.43°N, 104.00°ESao Khua — 17.00°N, 104.25°ESao Khua — 17.41°N, 102.79°ESao Khua — 17.25°N, 102.67°ESao Khua — 16.42°N, 104.67°ESao Khua — 17.88°N, 101.97°ESao Khua — 17.07°N, 104.16°ESao Khua — 17.25°N, 102.53°ESao Khua — 16.90°N, 102.65°EBroome Sandstone — 17.97°S, 122.18°EBroome Sandstone — 17.53°S, 122.15°EBroome Sandstone — 17.58°S, 122.16°EBroome Sandstone — 17.55°S, 122.15°EBroome Sandstone — 17.97°S, 122.29°EElliot — 30.43°S, 27.60°EElliot — 30.40°S, 27.52°EElliot — 30.22°S, 27.52°EElliot — 29.36°S, 27.61°EElliot — 29.93°S, 27.40°EElliot — 30.08°S, 28.47°EElliot — 30.07°S, 28.38°EElliot — 30.52°S, 27.48°EElliot — 28.83°S, 28.07°EElliot — 30.03°S, 28.35°EElliot — 29.85°S, 27.27°EElliot — 29.33°S, 27.52°EElliot — 29.69°S, 27.38°EElliot — 30.18°S, 27.43°EElliot — 29.80°S, 27.40°EElliot — 29.82°S, 27.25°ESerra da Galga — 19.72°S, 47.75°WSerra da Galga — 19.72°S, 47.74°WSerra da Galga — 19.61°S, 47.97°WSerra da Galga — 19.60°S, 47.62°WSerra da Galga — 19.63°S, 47.45°WSerra da Galga — 19.63°S, 47.23°WSerra da Galga — 19.76°S, 47.90°WCloverly — 44.98°N, 108.32°WCloverly — 45.38°N, 108.24°WCloverly — 45.45°N, 108.14°WCloverly — 45.44°N, 108.14°WCloverly — 46.32°N, 109.71°WCloverly — 45.26°N, 108.41°WCloverly — 44.54°N, 108.01°WCloverly — 44.04°N, 107.51°WCloverly — 44.65°N, 107.88°WCloverly — 44.51°N, 107.90°WCloverly — 44.50°N, 107.82°WCloverly — 44.48°N, 109.05°WCloverly — 44.44°N, 109.06°WCloverly — 45.19°N, 108.80°WCloverly — 45.80°N, 109.80°WCloverly — 45.49°N, 108.73°WAsencio — 33.87°S, 57.49°WAsencio — 33.52°S, 57.82°WAsencio — 34.20°S, 58.30°WAsencio — 34.02°S, 57.65°WAsencio — 32.66°S, 58.10°WAsencio — 34.53°S, 55.93°WAsencio — 33.06°S, 56.47°WAsencio — 33.63°S, 58.02°WAsencio — 33.72°S, 57.99°WAsencio — 33.22°S, 58.04°WAsencio — 33.12°S, 58.19°WAsencio — 32.19°S, 57.45°WAsencio — 33.00°S, 56.16°WAsencio — 32.64°S, 57.75°WAsencio — 31.93°S, 57.91°WAsencio — 33.05°S, 57.46°WAsencio — 32.39°S, 57.15°WAsencio — 32.11°S, 58.06°WAsencio — 33.86°S, 57.62°WCedar Mountain — 38.72°N, 109.69°WCedar Mountain — 39.14°N, 110.90°WCedar Mountain — 38.85°N, 109.56°WCedar Mountain — 38.83°N, 109.47°WCedar Mountain — 39.18°N, 110.11°WCedar Mountain — 40.44°N, 109.31°WCedar Mountain — 38.83°N, 109.27°WCedar Mountain — 38.82°N, 109.75°WCedar Mountain — 38.91°N, 110.11°WCedar Mountain — 38.73°N, 109.50°WCedar Mountain — 38.73°N, 109.59°WCedar Mountain — 38.94°N, 111.11°WCedar Mountain — 38.92°N, 109.69°WMaevarano — 15.90°S, 46.58°EMaevarano — 15.93°S, 46.52°EMaevarano — 16.13°S, 45.63°EMaevarano — 16.12°S, 45.74°EAdamantina — 20.80°S, 49.38°WAdamantina — 21.10°S, 49.28°WAdamantina — 21.57°S, 51.28°WAdamantina — 21.94°S, 51.37°WAdamantina — 22.12°S, 51.44°WAdamantina — 21.63°S, 51.16°WAdamantina — 19.46°S, 49.25°WAdamantina — 25.73°S, 48.58°WAdamantina — 21.33°S, 48.58°WAdamantina — 20.97°S, 49.17°WAdamantina — 19.44°S, 49.26°WAdamantina — 19.44°S, 49.24°WAdamantina — 20.92°S, 50.45°WAdamantina — 21.74°S, 51.03°WTrossingen — 51.90°N, 11.07°ETrossingen — 48.07°N, 8.65°ETrossingen — 49.52°N, 11.13°ETrossingen — 48.53°N, 9.05°ETrossingen — 48.75°N, 9.17°ETrossingen — 48.73°N, 9.10°ETrossingen — 49.08°N, 9.46°ETrossingen — 50.38°N, 10.55°ETrossingen — 49.06°N, 10.98°ETrossingen — 49.52°N, 11.25°ETrossingen — 49.25°N, 11.23°E

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The named rock units Sauropodomorpha has been recovered from, largest first. Drawn where the rock is now, not where it formed. 599 further formations hold fewer occurrences each and are not listed. 402 occurrences have no formation on record, which is common for older literature.

Sauropodomorpha and its relatives

Late Cretaceous

Where Sauropodomorpha and its relatives were recorded in the Late Cretaceous.

Found in the same rock

872 taxa

The Paleobiology Database records at least 1,615 sites for Sauropodomorpha, and this reads 240 of them. The number is how many of those sites it was catalogued from too. The 24 sharing the most are listed.

This is not a list of everything alive at the time. It is only what has come out of the same ground as this animal and been written down.

Entered from

1,848 references

Each of the 4,180 occurrences read was entered from one of these publications, ordered by how many each accounts for. This is not a search for papers mentioning the name. 1,836 further references are not listed. Entries link to doi.org where the Paleobiology Database holds an identifier, and to its own record where it does not. Relayed as the Paleobiology Database holds them, not checked against what they resolve to.

Media and terms

Media content3

Picture of Sauropodomorpha

Credit
AbstractionBlue
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0
Commercial use
the licence allows it

CT scan

Licence
not stated by the source
Commercial use
cannot be read from the licence given — check the record
Specimen
Sauropodomorpha indet. · MDS:VPCR:29

3D model

Source
Sketchfab
Licence
CC Attribution-NonCommercial
Commercial use
the licence does not allow it

The description on this site

Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0

This is what the site found, which is not the same as what exists.

Keep going

What may have been alongside itSaurischia through timeFormations of the Late CretaceousThe world it lived on

Occurrence data from the Paleobiology Database, CC BY 4.0. (Huene 1932)