The dinosaurs have a new record holder when it comes to neck length – at least for now. That’s the conclusion researchers at Stony Brook University in New York came to, the British news agency PA reported.
According to this, the dinosaur species Mamenchisaurus sinocanadorum, which is widespread in today’s East Asia and other parts of the world, had a neck length of more than 15 meters. According to the researchers, this corresponds to six giraffe necks. Fossil remains of the animal were discovered in China in 1987. They lived more than 160 million years ago and belonged to the group of sauropods.
Although only a small number of the dinosaur’s bones are known, the researchers have now been able to reconstruct the animals’ size and shape using complete skeletons of its closest relatives. They came up with the enormous neck length, which surpasses all previously known dinosaurs.
“At 15 meters long, Mamenchisaurus sinocanadorum looks like the record holder – at least until something longer is discovered,” PA quoted Stony Brook University paleontologist Andrew J. Moore as saying.
Using computer tomography, the scientists were also able to find out that the vertebrae of the giants were hollow, as is the case with small birds. The animals had four meter long ribs on their necks, which provided stability. The findings are now to be published in the journal “Journal of Systematic Palaeontology”.
