Discoveries

March 29, 2023

The Lazy Dino

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In 1987, paleontologists uncovered the remains of a long-necked dinosaur that some 162 million years ago roamed what is now northwestern China.

Named Mamenchisaurus sinocanadorum, the species belonged to a group of dinos called sauropods, known for their large sizes, long necks and tails, and vegetarian habits.

But M. sinocanadorum was no mere sauropod.

A new study found the creature had a nearly 50-foot-long neck, the longest one ever recorded in any known dinosaur, CNN reported.

Using computerized tomography scanning, a research team was able to determine the neck’s length by examining the specimen’s three intact vertebrae and comparing them with the neck bones of other sauropods.

Previously, the Xinjiangtitan was the species regarded as having the longest neck, but which is now estimated to be about five feet shorter than that of M. sinocanadorum.

The researchers also found that the extinct creature’s bones were very hollow and primarily filled with air, instead of marrow. But this was advantageous for the species because it lightened the load of moving that massive neck around, they noted.

Biomechanical studies also hinted that the sauropod’s neck was elevated at an angle of about 20 to 30 degrees above the horizontal. However, this did not prevent the animal’s head from reaching heights up to almost 33 feet above ground.

“They’re seemingly well engineered to be efficient food gatherers and that’s what the neck allows them to do … plant themselves in one space, eat the vegetation that’s around them and then move only as necessary,” according to lead author Andrew Moore.

This story originally appeared in the March 29, 2023 newsletter, Books, Traffic and Trauma.