In addition to containing two or more species classified with the name Apatosaurus, some scientists also place Brontosaurus in the genus Apatosaurus, but this arrangement has become a matter of substantial controversy. The debate began after O.C. Marsh described Apatosaurus in 1877 and Brontosaurus two years later. In 1903, Elmer Riggs decided that their differences were caused by growth, treating Apatosaurus as a young Brontosaurus. Because Apatosaurus was named first, it became the accepted name. In 2015, however, an analysis of 81 sauropod skeletons argued that specimens labeled Brontosaurus belonged to a genus distinct from Apatosaurus.
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