apatosaurus

noun

1. A large sauropod dinosaur of the genus Apatosaurus of the late Jurassic Period, having a long neck and tail and a relatively small head.

   “The American Museum of Natural History’s dinosaur collection is currently under wraps, awaiting the completion of its new display space. The world-renowned collection of saber-toothed tigers, mammoths, apatosauri, and other fossilized vertebrates (does that include Ronald Reagan and Jesse Helms?) will soon be showcased in six new halls on the fourth floor.”

   “In 2342, the fossils were rediscovered during a dig organized by the Atlantic Paleo-Genetic Reclamation Project of the Intersolar Terraforming Commission. They were just the sort of raw material that the Project was looking for. / The Commission had set up a planet that was perfect for millet farming. But the soil there was very rocky. They envisioned the use of customized, vocalizing apatosauri as plow animals.”

   “Two ivy-covered dinosaur topiaries, which had formerly decorated the lawn near the Pacific Science Center (see p11) at Seattle Center, now grace Fremont’s narrow Ship Canal Park. To save them from extinction, History House and a group of Fremont artists purchased these in 1999 for $1. The mother, 66-ft (20-m) long, and young apatosauri are now sanctioned by the city and fully integrated into the crazy quilt of what is virtually a neighborhood-wide sculpture garden.”