# The Return of the Brontosaurus! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 7, 2015, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036 "2015-04-07T13:57:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036/21 "2015-04-07T18:29:49Z")
> [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > Apathysaurus can’t be bothered to come up with a joke. You made the baby Thesaurus\* cry. - The smartest of the dinosaurs. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036/22 "2015-04-07T18:37:39Z")
Can we undelete Pluto now? Pretty please? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036/23 "2015-04-07T18:38:38Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > The Return of the Brontosaurus! Well, all I can say is, Yabba-dabba-do! ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036/24 "2015-04-07T19:10:04Z")
I once read an article about bio-mechanical studies to try to figure out how dinosaurs moved, based on computer models of their skeletons and muscles. It was fairly straightforward stuff: this muscle can exert this amount of force on this bone, that muscle can exert that amount of force on that bone, etc. When they modeled movement in an Apatosaurus tail, they came up with interesting numbers. By the time they got to the last vertebra at the tip of the tail, their calculations indicated supersonic speeds. Which raised the interesting possibility that Apatosaurus could create sonic booms by wagging its tail. “Thunder Lizard” is a much better name for such a beast. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036/25 "2015-04-07T19:26:11Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > When they modeled movement in an Apatosaurus tail, they came up with interesting numbers. By the time they got to the last vertebra at the tip of the tail, their calculations indicated supersonic speeds. Which raised the interesting possibility that Apatosaurus could create sonic booms by wagging its tail. That is AWESOME! FWIW, though, I know someone whose Great Dane took out an entertainment center by wagging his tail. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036/26 "2015-04-07T19:33:27Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > I once read an article about bio-mechanical studies to try to figure out how dinosaurs moved, based on computer models of their skeletons and muscles. It was fairly straightforward stuff: this muscle can exert this amount of force on this bone, that muscle can exert that amount of force on that bone, etc. > > When they modeled movement in an Apatosaurus tail, they came up with interesting numbers. By the time they got to the last vertebra at the tip of the tail, their calculations indicated supersonic speeds. Which raised the interesting possibility that Apatosaurus could create sonic booms by wagging its tail. > > “Thunder Lizard” is a much better name for such a beast. Sounds like a whip. A whipcrack, as has long been speculated, turns out to be a mini sonic boom: > **[True Cause of Whip's Crack Uncovered](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/true-cause-of-whips-crack/)** > **[Whipcracking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whipcracking)** > > Whipcracking is the act of producing a cracking sound through the use of a whip. Used during livestock driving and horse riding, it has also become an art. A rhythmic whipcracking belongs to the traditional culture among various Germanic peoples of Bavaria (Goaßlschnalzen), various Alpine areas (Aperschnalzen), Austria, and Hungary (Ostorozás). Today it is a performing art, a part of rodeo show in United States, a competitive sport in Australia and increasingly popular in the United Kingdom, wh... ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036/27 "2015-04-07T20:53:50Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Can we undelete Pluto now? Pretty please? Pluto is fine, it is just a Dwarf Planet and we’re back down to 8 planets. Keep in mine it is not even the largest Dwarf Planet. As to the Bronto, it was never actually wrong to call the _Apatosaurus_ a Brontosaurus, Brontosaurus was just **a junior synonym** \*\* for Apatosaurus\*\* and those that were sticklers about not calling it Brontosaurus were asses. I am glad science might be ending this bit of silliness via additional research that will probably separate the 2 creatures. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036/28 "2015-04-07T20:56:44Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Pluto is fine, it is just a Dwarf Planet and we’re back down to 8 planets. Keep in mine it is not even the largest Dwarf Planet. The proper term isn’t “Little Planet”? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036/29 "2015-04-07T21:23:56Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Can we undelete Pluto now? Pretty please? Well, if we do then there’s at least ten planets, including Eris and maybe Ceres for 11. And up to another dozen, maybe even more - current guess is 340. It’s almost impossible to come up with a definition of “planet” that includes Pluto and not Eris and maybe Ceres. And maybe Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, Triton, Titan and yes- Luna. Pluto is just too far out and too small to make it as a Planet without making dozens if not hundreds or thousands of other items also planets. [http://news.discovery.com/space/should-large-moons-be-called-satellite-planets.htm](http://news.discovery.com/space/should-large-moons-be-called-satellite-planets.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036/30 "2015-04-07T21:26:48Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Pluto is fine, it is just a Dwarf Planet Planetoid-American, please. Let’s keep this PC. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036/31 "2015-04-07T22:58:28Z")
Wait. This Brontosaurus comeback doesn’t involve Anne Elk, does it? ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036/32 "2015-04-07T23:05:06Z")
Don’t call it a comeback. It’s been here for years, rocking its peers, putting suchosaurs to tears. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036/33 "2015-04-07T23:21:18Z")
Brontosaurus is back in the same sense that the speed of light was proven wrong a couple years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036/34 "2015-04-07T23:34:35Z")
I was just happy when Pandas got reinstated as bears. Scientists are a wacky bunch. I think these types of things are just an elaborate joke on the general public played out over time. They build up emotional support for a popular idea and then just suddenly yank it away. After everyone fights over it and starts to feel really stupid, they say ‘Just kidding!’ and put it right back the way it was. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036/35 "2015-04-08T01:07:28Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > The other problem is that they were calling themselves “[nobodysaurus](http://dilbert.com/strip/1989-07-19)”. So nobody did. I thought Scott Adams missed a trick there and he have called it steganosaurus. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036/36 "2015-04-08T01:16:56Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I was just happy when Pandas got reinstated as bears. Yeah, but now they’re not pandas any more :mad:. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036/37 "2015-04-08T01:26:46Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Yeah, but now they’re not pandas any more :mad:. Damn. Pull your pants back up again. (BTW: That cracked me the hell up.) ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036/38 "2015-04-08T02:27:58Z")
What I don’t get is if it was determined (apparently erroneously) in 1903 that Brontosaurus was not a separate genus, why was the Brontosaurus name taught to school kids until fairly recently? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036/39 "2015-04-08T03:29:11Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I was just happy when Pandas got reinstated as bears. Scientists are a wacky bunch. I think these types of things are just an elaborate joke on the general public played out over time. They build up emotional support for a popular idea and then just suddenly yank it away. After everyone fights over it and starts to feel really stupid, they say ‘Just kidding!’ and put it right back the way it was. Now we have to get _Eohippus_ back\*. Fuck \*Hyracotherium \* - and it may be. Experts differ. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036/40 "2015-04-08T03:32:14Z")
Since I don’t see an actual question in the OP, let’s move this over to MPSIMS. Colibri General Questions Moderator [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-return-of-the-brontosaurus/717036.md?page=3)