The name Diplodocus comes from the Greek language and means ‘double beam’, this refers to strangely shaped bones found in the Diplodocus tail.

The Diplodocus is a well known dinosaur that is popular in films, documentaries, as toy figurines and has been featured in a large number of museum exhibitions around the world.

A large amount of fossil remains have made it easier for scientists to study the Diplodocus compared to many other dinosaurs.

Diplodocus lived in an area that is now western North America at the end of the Jurassic Period, around 150 million years ago.

Although longer dinosaurs have since been discovered, Diplodocus was thought to be the longest for many years.

Research suggests the Diplodocus could have been as long as 35m (115ft) and around 10 to 15 tons in weight.

Diplodocus had a long tail which contained around 80 vertebrae.

Early research suggested the Diplodocus might have swum in water but more recent studies have indicated that water pressure on the chest would have made it too difficult for the Diplodocus to breathe out of its nostrils.