Cetiosaurus 3469027 222429992 2008-06-29T08:48:13Z Cyfal 4637213 typo {{Taxobox | name = ''Cetiosaurus'' | fossil_range = [[Middle Jurassic|Mid]] - [[Late Jurassic]] | image = Cetiosaurus1.jpg | image_width=240px | regnum = [[Animal]]ia | phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]] | classis = [[Reptile|Sauropsida]] | superordo = [[Dinosaur]]ia | ordo = [[Saurischia]] | subordo = [[Sauropodomorpha]] | infraordo = [[Sauropoda]] | familia = [[Cetiosauridae]] | subfamilia = '''Cetiosaurinae''' | subfamilia_authority = [[Richard Lydekker|Lydekker]], 1888 | genus = '''''Cetiosaurus''''' | genus_authority = [[Richard Owen|Owen]], 1842 | subdivision_ranks = [[Species]] | subdivision = * ''C. brevis'' <small>Owen, 1842 ([[Type species|type]]) (may be suppressed by [[ICZN]])</small> * ''C. medius'' <small>Owen, 1842</small> * ''C. longus'' <small>Owen, 1842</small> * ''C. oxoniensis'' <small>Phillips, 1871 (proposed as new type species)</small> * ''C. mogrebiensis'' <small>Lapparent, 1955</small> }} '''''Cetiosaurus''''' (SEET-ee-oh-sawr-us) meaning 'whale lizard', from the [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] '''''cetus/κητος''''' meaning 'sea monster' (later, 'whale') and '''''saurus/σαυρος''''' meaning 'lizard', was a [[sauropod]] [[dinosaur]] from the Mid to Late [[Jurassic]] [[Period (geology)|Period]] (181-169 [[million years ago]]) in what are now [[Europe]] and [[Africa]]. It is estimated to have been about 53 feet (15-16 m) long and to have weighed roughly 24800 kg. It was so named because its discoverer, Sir [[Richard Owen]] supposed it was a [[marine (ocean)|marine]] creature, initially an extremely large [[crocodile]]. It was a primitive, [[quadruped]]al, long-necked, small-headed [[herbivore]], with a shorter tail than most sauropods. ==Description== ''Cetiosaurus'' was a long-necked [[quadruped]]al animal approximately 18 meters (59 feet) long. Its neck was as long as its body, and the tail was considerably longer, consisting of at least 40 caudal vertebrae. Its dorsal vertebrae, the bones along the back, were heavy and primitive, unlike the hollowed-out bones of advanced sauropods like ''[[Brachiosaurus]]''. Its [[radius|forearm]], too, was as long as the [[humerus|upper arm]], unlike most other sauropods. Its [[femur|thigh bone]] was approximately six feet in length. ==Discovery and species== ''Cetiosaurus'' was the first sauropod to be discovered and named. Fossilized remains have been found in [[England]] and [[Morocco]]. Remains consisting of a vertebra, rib and arm bone had been discovered on the [[Isle of Wight]] and named by [[England|English]] [[biologist]], [[comparative anatomy|comparative anatomist]] and [[paleontology|palaeontologist]] Sir [[Richard Owen]], in 1841, the year before he coined the term '''[[Dinosaur]]ia'''. More limb bones were found in the late 1840s and a fairly complete skeleton in 1868. Owen thought it had [[crocodilia]]n features. Ironically, ''Cetiosaurus's'' true nature was not realized until [[Thomas Huxley]] named it as a dinosaur in 1869.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Debus AA|year=[[1994]]|title=Mysterious Giants:Historical Sauropods|journal=Dinosaur Report|issue=Spring|pages=8&ndash;9}}</ref> ''Cetiosaurus oxoniensis'', from the Middle [[Jurassic]] (Bajocian) of [[Oxfordshire]] and [[Rutland]],<ref>{{cite journal|author=Upchurch P & Martin J|year=[[2002]]|title=The Rutland Cetiosaurus: the anatomy and relationships of a Middle Jurassic British sauropod dinosaur.|journal=Palaeontology|volume=45|issue=6|pages=1049&ndash;1074|doi=10.1111/1475-4983.00275}}</ref> also in England, is better known than the type species ''C. brevis'' and has been proposed by Upchurch to be the new type.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Upchurch P & Martin J|year=[[2003]]|title=The Anatomy and Taxonomy of ''Cetiosaurus'' (Saurischia, Sauropoda) from the Middle Jurassic of England|journal=Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology|volume=23|issue=1|pages=208&ndash;231|doi=10.1671/0272-4634(2003)23[208:TAATOC]2.0.CO;2|doilabel=10.1671/0272-4634(2003)23&#x5B;208:TAATOC&#x5D;2.0.CO;2}}</ref> They report the material of ''C. medius'' is insufficient to define ''Cetiosaurus'' and is hence a [[nomen dubium]]. ''Cetiosaurus'' Species * ''C. brevis''([[type species|type]]) * ''C. medius'' * ''C. oxoniensis'' <small>Phillips, 1871</small> * ''C. mogrebiensis'' <small>Lapparent, 1955</small> ==Classification== The closest relatives of ''Cetiosaurus'' appear to be ''[[Barapasaurus]]'' and the South American ''[[Patagosaurus]]''. Together they comprise the '''Cetiosauridae''', which was previously a large ill-defined family of primitive sauropods. ==Paleobiology== It shared its time period with, and was possibly prey to, ''[[Megalosaurus]]'' and ''[[Eustreptospondylus]]''. Cetiosaurus's environment was [[floodplain]] and [[open woodland]]. ==Images== {| border="1" |- |[[Image:Cetiosaurus right scapula.JPG|thumb|100px|center|''Cetiosaurus'' right scapula - [[Oxford University Museum of Natural History]]]] |[[Image:Cetiosaurus rt humerus2.png|thumb|100px|center|''Cetiosaurus'' right humerus - [[Oxford University Museum of Natural History]]]] |[[Image:Cetiosaur right femur.JPG|thumb|90px|center|''Cetiosaurus'' right femur - [[Oxford University Museum of Natural History]]]] |} ==References== * {{cite book|title=The Evolution and Extinction of the Dinosaurs (2nd Edition)|year=2005|chapter=Sauropodomorpha:The Big, The Bizarre & The Majestic|editor=Fastovsky DE, Weishampel DB|author=Fastovsky DE, Weishampel DB|pages=229&ndash;264|publisher=Cambridge University Press|id=ISBN 0-521-81172-4}} {{reflist}} *[http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1111/1475-4983.00275 Online abstract of preceding article] ==External links== *[http://www.dinoruss.com/de_4/5a7f0d5.htm Dinoruss web site] {{portalpar|Dinosaurs}} [[Category:Jurassic dinosaurs]] [[Category:Sauropods]] [[Category:Dinosaurs of Europe]] [[Category:Dinosaurs of Africa]] [[cs:Cetiosaurus]] [[de:Cetiosaurus]] [[es:Cetiosaurus]] [[fr:Cetiosaurus]] [[it:Cetiosaurus]] [[lt:Cetiozauras]] [[nl:Cetiosaurus]] [[ja:ケティオサウルス]] [[pl:Cetiozaur]] [[pt:Cetiossauro]] [[sk:Cetiosaurus]] [[fi:Cetiosaurus]] [[zh:鲸龙]]