April 1, 2009 -- Sauropod dinosaurs -- the group including the well-known Apatosaurus (formerly known as Brontosaurus) -- could not have kept their long necks in a vertical position, according to a new study. At best, the dinosaurs would have needed to expend nearly half their energy just to hold their necks up, the study found. At worst, they would have passed out after lifting their heads at a 90-degree angle. The study, published in the latest Royal Society Biology Letters, adds to an emerging consensus that sauropods held their necks -- up to 30 feet long -- in a horizontal position. In the future, museum exhibits, movies and books may reflect the change in their depictions of these enormous prehistoric animals. Based on the new findings, it is believed that sauropods held their heads more like a horse than a giraffe. Related Content:
"There is good evidence for a strong ligament that supported the neck horizontally at no energy cost to the animal," study author Roger Seymour told Discovery News. "Like horses, (sauropods) used their muscles to pull the neck down, not up." Seymour, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Adelaide, performed a series of calculations to determine the metabolic rate and energy cost required for a sauropod to hold its head and neck aloft. He began by determining what the blood pressure would have been for the hefty dinosaurs if they had held their heads up. "Blood pressure at a minimum can be calculated exactly from the vertical distance above the heart," he explained. In Mamenchisaurus, for example, skeletal remains show its head, if the animal had reared, would've been more than 11 meters, or 36 feet, above its heart. To generate high enough blood pressure to keep its head held high, the dinosaur's heart would have needed to have been five times thicker and 15 times heavier than that of an animal with more average blood pressure, according to the study. Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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