Mamenchisaurus
ma-MEN-chee-SAWR-us
Notable for its incredibly long neck, which can grow up to 11m – roughly half of the its overall length – Mamenchisaurus is one of the largest sauropods to have existed. This herbivorous dinosaur feeds on plants and leaves, swallowing vegetation whole without the need for chewing. Mamenchisaurus’ name derives from the place of its discovery, the Mamen Brook in Sichuan, China.
Discovery
Mamenchisaurus was discovered in 1952, although it wasn’t formally identified until 1954 when Yang Zhongian (better known as C. C. Young) began studying the fossils that had been found on a construction site – leading to the type name Mamenchisaurus constructus.
Palaeoecology
Mamenchisaurus existed during the Late Jurassic period, approximately 145-155m years ago and inhabited various parts of China, sharing its environment with other herbivores including Chungkingosaurus and Omeisaurus. It tended to feed from large trees, using its long but relatively light neck to reach vegetation that other dinosaurs could not.
Information
- Era
- Late Jurassic
- Family
- Mamenchisauridae
- Genus
- Mamenchisaurus
- Height
- 8M
- Length
- 21M
- Weight
- 14T
- Diet
- Tall Paleobotany
- Egg batch size
- 1 - 1
