Brachiosaurus vs Elephant: How Big Was Brachiosaurus?
The African elephant is the biggest land animal alive today. Brachiosaurus would have made it look small. With its long neck raised, Brachiosaurus could reach as high as a four-storey building, and it probably weighed as much as several elephants.
Brachiosaurus vs elephant: true size
Brachiosaurus vs elephant at a glance
| Brachiosaurus | African elephant | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | About 20 m | About 6 to 7.5 m, including the trunk |
| Height | Head up to about 12 m high | About 3.2 m at the shoulder for a large male |
| Weight | Estimates range from about 30 to more than 50 tonnes | Up to about 6 tonnes |
| Lived | About 154 to 150 million years ago | Today |
| Food | Leaves high in the trees | Grass, leaves, bark and fruit |
| Legs | Front legs longer than back legs | Four pillar-like legs |
| Reaching food | A very long neck | A trunk |
Built like a giraffe
Brachiosaurus means arm lizard, because its front legs were longer than its back legs. That, and its long neck, tilted its body upwards like a giraffe, so it could browse leaves far above other plant-eaters. An elephant reaches high food a different way: it stretches up with its trunk.
How do we know its weight?
Nobody can weigh a fossil, so scientists estimate from the size of the bones and from models of the body. That is why estimates for Brachiosaurus vary so much, from around 30 tonnes to over 50. Even the lowest estimate is about five African elephants.
Quick facts
- Brachiosaurus was a sauropod, the group of long-necked giant plant-eaters.
- Its nostrils were high on its head.
- An elephant’s trunk has tens of thousands of muscle bundles.
- Elephants eat for up to around 16 hours a day.
- A close African relative of Brachiosaurus, Giraffatitan, has a mounted skeleton in Berlin over 13 m tall.
Look inside both
Brachiosaurus vs elephant questions
How big was Brachiosaurus compared to an elephant?
About three times as long and about four times as tall with its neck raised, and probably at least five times heavier.
How tall was Brachiosaurus?
With its neck raised, its head could reach about 12 m off the ground.
How heavy was Brachiosaurus?
Estimates range from about 30 to more than 50 tonnes.
Is an elephant the biggest land animal?
Yes, the African bush elephant is the biggest land animal alive today, at up to about 6 tonnes.
When did Brachiosaurus live?
In the Late Jurassic, about 154 to 150 million years ago, in what is now western North America.
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