Dicraeosaurus was a small sauropod that had some physical differences from the rest of the family. It was named for the spines on the back of the neck. In general, sauropods had long necks and tails, skinny bodies and limbs, and tiny brains and heads. They were light in comparison with the brachiosaurs, because their vertebrae were a lattice of bony struts, used to reduce weight and take maximum stress. The family "Dicraeosaurus" was in had shorter tails, larger heads and longer neural spines along their neck and back.