Final answer:
The dinosaur species that turned out to be a hoax was the Brontosaurus, which was later discovered to actually be the already named dinosaur, the Apatosaurus.
Step-by-step explanation:
The species of dinosaur that was later revealed to be a hoax was the Brontosaurus. The story of the Brontosaurus begins in the 19th century during a period that is often termed 'the Bone Wars' where rival paleontologists raced to discover new dinosaur species. The Brontosaurus was initially thought to be a real dinosaur but it was later discovered that the bones attributed to this species actually belonged to an already named dinosaur, the Apatosaurus. Today, the Brontosaurus is no longer recognized as a separate genus, although this has been a subject of a recent scientific debate.
There were many other dinosaur species such as the Stegosaurus, the Triceratops and the Albertosaurus that were real and well documented. These were diverse groups of terrestrial reptiles with more than 1,000 species classified to date.
While the dinosaur Brontosaurus turned out to be a hoax, the field of paleontology continues to provide us with new information and understanding about the incredible variety and complexity of life in the past.
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