Brachiosauridae ("Armed lizards" from Latin brachium = "arm" and Greek saurus = "lizard") is a family of herbivorous, quadrupedal sauropod dinosaurs. Brachiosaurids had long necks that enabled them to access the leaves of tall trees that other sauropods would have been unable to access. In addition, they possessed thick spoon-shaped teeth which helped them to consume tough plants more efficiently than other sauropods. They have also been characterized by a few unique unambiguous synapomorphies; dorsal vertebrae with 'rod-like' transverse processes and an ischium with an abbreviate pubic peduncle.