Diplodocoidea

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iDiplodocoids Fossil range: Jurassic–Cretaceous
Conservation status
Extinct (fossil)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Superorder: Dinosauria Order: Saurischia Suborder: Sauropodomorpha Infraorder: Sauropoda Superfamily: Diplodocoidea Marsh, 1884
Families
Amphicoelias Rebbachisauridae Amazonsaurus Suuwassea Diplodocidae Dicraeosauridae

Diplodocoidea was a superfamily of sauropod dinosaurs, which included some of the longest animals of all time, including slender giants like Supersaurus, Diplodocus, Apatosaurus, and Amphicoelias. Most had very long necks and long, whip-like tails; however, one family (the dicraeosaurids) are the only known sauropods to have re-evolved a short neck, presumably an adaptation for feeding low to the ground. This adaptation was taken to the extreme in the highly specialized sauropod Brachytrachelopan.

[edit] Taxonomy

Infraorder Sauropoda

• Superfamily Diplodocoidea
  • Amphicoelias
  • Family Rebbachisauridae
    • Nigersaurus
    • Cathartesaura
    • Limaysaurus
    • Rayososaurus
    • Rebbachisaurus
  • Amazonsaurus
  • Flagellicaudata (whip-tails)
    • Family Dicraeosauridae
      • Amargasaurus
      • Brachytrachelopan
      • Dicraeosaurus
    • Suuwassea
    • Family Diplodocidae
      • Dinheirosaurus
      • Cetiosauriscus
      • Subfamily Apatosaurinae
        • Eobrontosaurus
        • Apatosaurus
        • Supersaurus
      • Subfamily Diplodocinae
        • Diplodocus
        • Seismosaurus
        • Barosaurus