# Did apatosaurs cheat at cards?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-apatosaurs-cheat-at-cards/124936>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 21, 2002, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-apatosaurs-cheat-at-cards/124936 "2002-08-21T16:08:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-apatosaurs-cheat-at-cards/124936/1 "2002-08-21T16:08:18Z")

</div>

Going back over the brontosaurus/apatosaurus naming confusion, I looked to see what “apatosaurus” meant, which was something like “deceptive lizard.”

OK, so where was the deception? Was this foreshadowing by O.C. Marsh on his later dino-deception of some years later?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-apatosaurs-cheat-at-cards/124936/2 "2002-08-21T16:25:50Z")

</div>

[http://www.brunching.com/dinos.html](http://www.brunching.com/dinos.html) As usual, Lore knows the score.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-apatosaurs-cheat-at-cards/124936/3 "2002-08-21T16:38:38Z")

</div>

The deception of _Apatosaurus_ lies in the similiarity of its chevron bones (aka **hemal arches** , found on the underside of the tail vertebrae) to those of Mososaurs.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-apatosaurs-cheat-at-cards/124936/4 "2002-08-21T16:41:33Z")

</div>

Dammit…mos **a** saurs.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-apatosaurs-cheat-at-cards/124936/5 "2002-08-21T16:48:08Z")

</div>

Oh, and the name itself is somewhat deceptive, since the orginal deception turns out not to be so deceptive after all.

Translation:

Marsh, when he described _Apatosaurus_, had only made a cursory examination of unprepared material. Thus his conclusion as to the similarity of _Apatosaurus_’ chevron bones to those of mosasaurs was rather hasty; it turns out that apatosaur chevron bones are more similar to those of many other dinosaurs after all, while _Mosasaurus_ and other mosasaurs had rather different chevron bones!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-apatosaurs-cheat-at-cards/124936/6 "2002-08-21T16:48:26Z")

</div>

Yes.

That’s why it’s extinct.

A Colt .45 beats 4 Aces. 😃