Jobaria Characteristics

Jobaria measured around 70 feet (21 metres) in length, 15 feet (4.5 metres) in height and weighed a massive 20 tons. Jobaria was 6 feet (1.8 metres) wide across its chest. Jobaria had a long flexible neck which contained 12 vertebrae, although it was shorter than in most sauropods, and a long tail. The backbone and tail of Jobaria are simple compared to the complex vertebrae and whiplash tail of the later North America sauropods Diplodocus and Apatosaurus. It has spoon-like teeth that helped it to chew tough plant material. Jobaria may have been able to raise up on its hind legs. The weight distribution of Jobaria indicates that it was supported more by its hind legs than its front legs as in modern day elephants. Jobaria had one large claw on each front foot and smaller claws on its hind feet.

Scientists believe that Jobaria was not closely related to any other sauropod, however, it is thought that this large herbivore may have been leftover from an earlier age of dinosaurs. Jobaria was probably wiped out during a single event of a flash-flood.

Jobaria was excavated by a team of paleontologists led by Paul Sereno. Several fossils were found together, indicating that this dinosaur was a herding animal. Fossils were found in a rock formation near the town of Agadez in the Sahara desert in Niger, Africa. This area was forested during the Cretaceous period. The type species is Jobaria tiguidensis.

One Jobaria fossil is 95% complete, making it one of the most complete Cretaceous sauropods. A juvenile Jobaria had tooth marks on it, maybe from the theropod Afrovenator, a 27 feet long (8 metre) ferocious carnivore.

Jobaria was named for Jobar, a mythical creature of north African legends.