New study suggests dinosaur had longest neck in animal history [Video]

Here’s the scoop!

• A new study suggests that a dinosaur called Mamenchisaurus sinocanadorum had the longest neck ever seen in an animal.
• The dinosaur’s neck measured 15.1 meters, which is six times longer than the necks of giraffes and 1.5 times the length of a double-decker bus.
• Mamenchisaurus sinocanadorum belonged to a group of dinosaurs known as sauropods and lived 160 million years ago in East Asia.

Scientists have discovered that a dinosaur known as Mamenchisaurus sinocanadorum may have had the longest neck of any animal in history. According to a recent study, the dinosaur’s neck measured an astonishing 15.1 meters, making it six times longer than the neck of a giraffe and 1.5 times longer than a double-decker bus.

The dinosaur lived 160 million years ago in East Asia and belonged to a group of dinosaurs called sauropods, known for their long necks and tails, large size, four-legged stance, and plant-eating diet.

The researchers used a technique called computed-tomography scanning to examine the vertebrae of the dinosaur’s neck and discovered that the bones were lightweight and hollow with air spaces taking up nearly three-quarters of the volume, a feature typically seen in small birds.

To compensate for its lightweight bones, the dinosaur had rod-like ribs in its neck that were about four meters long to help with its stability. Although M. sinocanadorum is only known from a handful of bones from the neck and skull, scientists were able to reconstruct its size and shape with the help of complete skeletons of its closest relatives.

Source: news.sky.com