Sauroposeidon proteles
"perfected lizard earthquake god"

     Discovered in 1994 and described in 2000, Oklahoma's Sauroposeidon was among the largest dinosaurs of all time. Its neck alone was the longest of any vertebrate at 12 meters (40ft), and in total it would have reached 100ft long and over 60ft in height, possibly even taller than the "Ultrasauros" specimen of its close relative Brachiosaurus. Like other brachiosaurids, Sauroposeidon featured a tall, posterior sloping body thanks to its unusually long front limbs. It also probably had a tall nasal crest, here restored supporting a resonating chamber. I've also restored it with a series of dorsal spines, like those known from diplodocid sauropods. Such spines would have been mostly decorative in this species, since no contemporary predator was large enough to threaten an adult brachiosaur. It is passing by a tall conifer, probably its preferred food source, and has disturbed a flock of basal pteranodontid pterosaurs. Sauroposeidon lived in the Albian of the Early Cretaceous period, later than the other brachiosaurids. It's great size and the fact that it was the largest and last of its kind in North America lends its species name, S. proteles, which is Greek for "perfected before the end".