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How much do we really know?

Sauropod Necks. How much do we really know?. Almost nothing, it turns out. Mike Taylor University of Bristol dino@miketaylor.org.uk Matt Wedel Western University mathew.wedel@gmail.com. Why sauropod necks matter. Sander and Clauss 2008:fig. 1. The Berlin Brachiosaur.

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How much do we really know?

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  1. Sauropod Necks How much do we really know? Almost nothing, it turns out. Mike Taylor University of Bristol dino@miketaylor.org.uk Matt Wedel Western University mathew.wedel@gmail.com

  2. Why sauropod necks matter Sander and Clauss 2008:fig. 1

  3. The Berlin Brachiosaur

  4. The Carnegie Diplodocus

  5. The Carnegie Apatosaurus

  6. Mamenchisaurus

  7. Sauropod neck skeletons are misleading for three reasons. 1. Incompleteness

  8. The Berlin Brachiosaur Giraffatitan brancai MB.R.2181 (HMN SII) Janensch 1950b Plate VIII

  9. The Berlin Brachiosaur Giraffatitan brancai MB.R.2181 (HMN SII) Janensch 1950b Plate VIII

  10. The Carnegie Diplodocus CM 84 & 82 Hatcher 1901 Composite from Plate III

  11. The Carnegie Diplodocus CM 84 & 82 Hatcher 1901 Composite from Plate III

  12. The Carnegie Diplodocus CM 84 & 82 Hatcher 1901 Composite from Plate III

  13. Hatcher 1901 Plate I

  14. The Carnegie Apatosaurus CM 3018 Gilmore 1936 Plate XXIV

  15. The Carnegie Apatosaurus CM 3018 Gilmore 1936 Plate XXIV

  16. Why incompleteness?

  17. Taphonomy of Sauroposeidon Wedel et al. 2000

  18. Gilmore 1925, plate X Baby Camarasaurus

  19. Sauropod neck skeletons are misleading for three reasons. 1. Incompleteness 2. Distortion

  20. The Rutland Cetiosaurus

  21. The Rutland Cetiosaurus

  22. The Carnegie Diplodocus CM 84 & 82 Hatcher 1901 Composite from Plate III

  23. Cervicals 2 and 3 of Giraffatitan HMN SI

  24. Why distortion? Wedel 2005

  25. Wedel 2005

  26. Sauropod neck skeletons are misleading for three reasons. 1. Incompleteness 2. Distortion 3. Absent cartilage

  27. 51cm 41cm +25%

  28. +25%

  29. Not likely as much as 25% because a baby giraffe is: A. a baby (though SII is also subadult) B. not a dinosaur How much cartilage does a domestic turkey have in its neck?

  30. 255 mm turkey neck Articulated vertebrae are 226 mm long => must add 12% to bone-only length

  31. Domestic turkey

  32. Domestic turkey Anterior articulation

  33. Domestic turkey in ONP 16º

  34. Domestic turkey Synovial joint extends centrum length by 12%

  35. Domestic turkey in true neutral pose 44º

  36. Domestic turkey neutral poses 28º difference

  37. 760 mm adult ostrich neck Articulated vertebrae are 701 mm long => must add 8% to bone-only length (Matt Cobbley, pers. Comm.)

  38. Were sauropod necks more like Those of giraffes or birds? Birds are more closely related. BUT gross vertebral morphology is more like that of giraffes, e.g. opisthocoelous articulations.

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