The Dinosaurs - Eucamerotus, an Isle of Wight Brachiosaur

Eucamerotus, an Isle of Wight Brachiosaur

brachiosaur skeleton

Meaning

Well Chambered

Length

15 metres (50 ft)

Classification

Sauropoda,
Brachiosauridae Riggs, 1904

‘Eucamerotus foxi’ Hulke, 1871

Locations

Known from the Wessex Formation, so try Brighstone bay.

The only definite specimens of Eucamerotus are a femur and some vertebrae. All these fragments were found along the cliffs at Brighstone Bay, in the reddish-brown clay. The vertebrae of Eucamerotus are recognisable by deep lateral pleurocoels, mostly positioned anteriorly and becoming shallower posteriorly, and a shallow depth of bone below the pleurocoel. This may, however, be difficult to confirm as titanosaurs have a similar morphology. There is also a specimen known as the Barnes High Sauropod, which may be Eucamerotus.

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.