Aspects of the Functional Morphology of Sauropoda (Dinosauria:Saurischia)

Northern Illinois University, Dekalb IL

Investigators

Abstract

0093929 J.M. Parrish & K.A. Stevens The long necked, gigantic sauropod dinosaurs appear to have been the largest animals that ever lived. Because of the large size, great weight, and fragile nature of sauropod fossils, their biology, and specifically their modes of feeding and locomotion, have been difficult to study. In this project, we will use a new computer program, Dinomorph, to digitally animate detailed images of the elements of the skeletons of several sauropods, allowing us to assess the ranges of movement of their necks and limbs, and to examine alternate scenarios for their feeding, posture, and locomotion. We will also compare the bony and soft tissue structures of the shoulder region and neck of representative birds and crocodilians (the two closest living relatives to sauropod dinosaurs) through both dissections and CT scans in order to assess which elements they have in common that might also have been present in the sauropods. We will also study neck mobility and muscle-bone connections in the necks of the two extant long necked mammals: giraffes and camels. These data will be used to help constrain parameters in the model. The resulting estimates of maximum range of motion for sauropods will be useful for understanding how these dinosaurs interacted with their environment and, therefore, what types of impacts they might have had on their environments.