Mamenchisaurus lived about 150 to 160 million years ago. It had a super-long neck, a long tail and four legs. Surprisingly, it got this huge from eating plants!

What else is “dynamic” about this dino?

Check it out!

Did You Know?

• Mamenchisaurus had one of the longest necks of any known dinosaur. Its neck measured around 46 feet (14 m) long. It had 19 vertebrae in its neck, more than any other known dinosaur had.
• Mamenchisaurus was about 70 to 80 feet (21 to 25 m) long and weighed roughly 12 tons.
• Its hind legs were longer than the front legs and its skull was box-shaped.
• It was discovered in China in 1952.

Paleontologists believe that the Mamenchisaurus never raised its head up. They think it kept it parallel to its body. This is because the Mamenchisaurus’ heart wouldn’t have been able to take the pressure of pumping the blood up its super-long neck. If this dino did, its heart would burst!

So why did this dinosaur have such a long neck?

Researchers think the Mamenchisaurus used it to poke its head into dense forests. This would have allowed the hungry dino to eat plants in wet, water soaked areas where the ground was too soft for it to walk upon without sinking.

Plants it could have eaten in these areas include seed ferns, club mosses, and horsetails.

Super Fun Facts!

• This dino weighed as much as two large African Elephants
• Its neck was longer than a school bus
• It stood three stories high
• Mamenchisaurus could eat the equivalent of 1,200 heads of lettuce in one day!
• It would drink two bathtubs worth of water a day. That’s over 100 gallons (379 liters)

What do you think of the Mamenchisaurus? Tell us in the comments section!