Illustration of Mamenchisaurus Sinocanadorum, a dinosaur estimated to have had a 15-meter-long neck
Julia de Oliveira
Late Jurassic sauropods had the longest necks of any recorded dinosaur, stretching 15.1 meters, based on analysis of the vertebrae.
Mamenchisaurus Sinocanadorum It was discovered in 1987 in China’s Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, but only a few bones were preserved, including some vertebrae and ribs. Although officially named in 1993, the animal’s size and scale had not been fully established until now.
The original paper reporting the sauropod find did not give the length of the neck, but suggested it to be between 10 and 11 meters.
Rather than simply analyzing what dinosaur bones looked like and what they tell us about their overall skeleton, paleontologists also consider evolutionary links to similar, more complete specimens. To do.
“It’s astonishingly simple and speaks to the fact that we’ve benefited from the discovery of new species in the meantime. [since M. sinocanadorum was discovered]says Andrew Moore of Stony Brook University in New York.
To come up with an estimate, Moore and his colleagues examined the relative proportions of the remaining vertebrae. M. Shinokanadrum It was compared to related dinosaurs that have fossils of entire necks. A 15.1-meter neck makes him six times as long as a giraffe.
Another question that Moore and his colleagues sought to address was how sauropods could sustain the weight of such long necks. Placing the remaining vertebrae into a computed tomography (CT) scanner showed that 69-77% of the vertebrae were empty spaces.
“The reason it’s possible to have such a long neck is not only because the bone marrow has been replaced with air to make the bones lighter, but because it can limit neck mobility, it’s possible to pump it full of air.” I think it’s because they’re more vulnerable,” says Moore. Researchers believe that the cervical ribs, which connect under the neck, also help support the neck.
“The long necks of these animals are astonishing even by dinosaur standards, and understanding their evolution is crucial to understanding how these animals lived.” said David Hone of Queen Mary University of London.
“This study proves that there is more to be learned about and from dinosaurs,” says Natalia Jagielska of the University of Edinburgh, UK. She is particularly excited about the potential of her future discoveries. “Long-necked dinosaurs have evolved their own different ways of coping with gigantism and supporting their long necks. There are many amazing deposits of long-necked sauropods in China,” she said. increase.
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