Igama elithi "Apatosaurus" libhekisela ohlotsheni lwama-dinosaurs amakhulu anentamo ende adla uhlaza ayephila phakathi Nenkathi Yakamuva Ye-Jurassic, cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-150 edlule. I-Apatosaurus yaziwa kakhulu ngokuthi i-Brontosaurus, futhi igama layo lisho "isibankwa esikhohlisayo" ngesiGreki, kubhekiselwa enkolelweni eyiphutha yokuthi sinethambo lomsila elingenalutho elingasetshenziswa njengesikhali.