Sauropod Dinosaur (Camarasaurus) Tooth Tip - Colorado

Camarasaurus was a medium-sized sauropod dinosaur whose fossils are found in the Morrison Formation of the Southest United States. It is estimated to have reached lengths of up to 75 feet long and had an estimated maximum weight of around 50 tons. Compared to the contemporary Diplodocids it had a shorter tail, longer forelimbs and much larger and more robust skull.



The skull of Camarasaurus was quite distinctive, having a blunt snout and looking quite square in shape. It had large, spoon-shaped teeth unlike many sauropod dinosaurs that have small, peg-like teeth. This likely indicates that it ate coarser vegetation, allowing it to share the same environment as other sauropods without competing for food. It has been estimated that it replaced it’s teeth approximately every 60 days as they became worn from chewing. It’s cervical vertebrae had hollow chambers to reduce weight on the neck which led to its name, meaning “chambered lizard”



Camarasaurus is considered the most abundant of the sauropod dinosaurs found in North America. Its fossils have been found in almost every major Morrison Formation dinosaur locality, with fossils found in localities from across many states including New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Montana and Oklahoma.