Giraffatitan brancai

Giraffatitan, a massive sauropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic period, is often considered a close relative of Brachiosaurus, though it is typically regarded as its own distinct genus. Fossils of Giraffatitan have been found in what is now Tanzania, with the most famous specimen, Giraffatitan brancai, estimated to have reached lengths of about 75 feet and weighed as much as 40 tons. This giant herbivore had a long, upward-sloping neck—similar to that of Brachiosaurus—allowing it to feed on high vegetation, possibly from tree tops, and reach a greater variety of plant life than many other contemporaneous herbivores. Its body was robust, with relatively short tail and legs compared to its long neck, and its front legs were longer than its hind legs, giving it a unique "giraffe-like" posture, which is how it earned its name. Giraffatitan likely fed on conifers and ferns, using its relatively small, peg-like teeth to strip leaves, though it may have also browsed from taller trees. Despite its enormous size, it is believed to have been relatively slow-moving, relying on its sheer size to avoid predators rather than speed or agility. Fossils suggest Giraffatitan lived in herds, which would have provided some protection from large carnivores like Allosaurus. Its skeletal structure and posture, combined with its immense size, likely made it one of the dominant plant-eaters in its ecosystem.