Scientists find dinosaurs with necks as long as six giraffes

Dinosaurs have a new record holder when it comes to neck length – at least for now. Researchers at Stony Brook University in New York came to this conclusion, reports the British news agency PA.

Hence the species of dinosaur common in what is now East Asia and other parts of the world Mamenchisaurus sinocanadorum up to 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 belong to the group of sauropods.

Although only a small number of dinosaur bones are known, researchers have now been able to reconstruct the animals’ size and shape using complete skeletons of their 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,” said paleontologist Andrew J. Moore of Stony Brook University.

Using computed tomography, the scientists were also able to discover that the giants’ vertebrae were hollow, as is the case in small birds. The animals had four meter long ribs in their necks, which provided stability. The findings are now published in the journal “Journal of Systematic Paleontology.”

(dsc/sda/dpa)