May 4, 2013

Poor Brontosaurus. First named in 1879 when a paleontologist mistook an Apatosaurus skeleton for a new type of long-necked sauropod, Brontosaurus may be the most well-known dinosaur that never existed. Though the error was corrected in scientific circles as early as 1903, the iconic behemoth lingered in museums, movies and the public imagination for decades.

Despite their pop-culture status, dinosaur species aren’t set in stone, says Switek, a science writer with his own fond memories of Brontosaurus. Their identities are constantly being updated and revised as modern technology and new disco