Meaning
Bird-like
Length
Between 15 (49 ft) and 18m (60 ft)
Classification
Sauropoda,
Brachiosauridae Riggs, 1904
‘Ornithopsis hulkei’ Seeley, 1870
A long-necked sauropod dinosaur, Ornithopsis was a browser, eating tough vegetation with its chisel-like teeth. It was probably only a visitor when it died, as there was insufficient vegetation to support a sauropod population.
The only definitely identified specimens are an imperfect posterior dorsal vertebra, a right pubis and ischium. The vertebra has no distinguishing features that are not present in other brachiosaurs. The pubis has a distinct rounded foot at its distal end, which is also seen in Brachiosaurus, and in the ischium the dorsoventral length of the pubic articulatory surface is longer than the distance from the anteroproximal corner of the pubic process to the posterior edge of the bone. However, it is likely that the pelvic elements are not associated
Material is rare, so please report it if you find some…
BLOWS, W. T. 1995. The Early Cretaceous brachiosaurid dinosaurs Ornithopsis and Eucamerotus from the Isle of Wight, England. Palaeontology, 38, 187-197.
NAISH, D. and MARTILL, D. M. 2001d. Saurischian dinosaurs 1: sauropods. In MARTILL, D. M. and NAISH, D (eds). Dinosaurs of the Isle of Wight. The Palaeontological Association. Field Guide to Fossils 10. 185-.241.