9 Long Neck Dinosaurs

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key point:

• Like giraffes, dinosaurs used their long necks to eat tall vegetation.
• Compared to other long-necked dinosaurs, Isisaurus had a very long and very thick neck.
• Mamenchisaurus grew to about 65 feet (19.8 meters) and was about 35 feet (10.6 meters) tall. Its neck is extremely long, taking up most of its length.

Millions of years ago, dinosaurs abounded on Earth, and one common type was the sauropod. These dinosaurs had the longest necks in history and were among the largest animals on Earth. Currently, male giraffes have the longest necks.

In this article, you'll learn about 10 dinosaur species with the longest necks, some of which were much larger than the giraffes we see today.

Like giraffes, dinosaurs used their long necks to hunt high vegetation, sustaining their herbivorous lifestyle. The first sauropods appeared in the early Jurassic period and did not exist until millions of years later. The dinosaurs on this list and the other giants that lived millions of years ago were some of the largest animals that ever existed before becoming completely extinct.

1. Brachiosaurus

Brachiosaurus lived in the late Jurassic period in what is now North America. Their necks were as long as those of other sauropods, with each vertebra measuring 3 feet (1 meter) long. Brachiosaurus was 39 feet (12 meters) tall and 75 feet (23 meters) long. Brachiosaurus is estimated to have weighed 40 tons (40,000 kilograms).

This dinosaur and other sauropods shared features similar to each other, such as:

• long neck and tail
• walk on all fours
• herbivorous diet
• little brains and little brains

Brachiosaurus' tall neck helped it reach the tallest leaves. Living in a herd, food is the main motivator for the herd to travel. While it's impossible to know Brachiosaurus' true lifespan, paleontologists estimate they lived to be around 100 years old.

2. Isis Dragon

The large sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Cretaceous period was Isisaurus. This dinosaur lived in India, and its fossil is one of the most complete fossils of titanosaurs. Isisaurus' body length is estimated to be about 59.1 feet (18 meters). The nearly complete fossil of this species is one of the closest dinosaur species to modern giraffes.

Isisaurus' neck was long, sticking out more forward rather than vertically. This species also had a very thick neck compared to other long-necked dinosaurs. Their legs were long, but not enough incomplete fossils have been found to know how big they could have grown. Grasslands, forests, and wetland-like habitats are some of the areas they may have inhabited.

3. Dome Dragon

Yardosaurus lived in North America and is one of the most common dinosaurs. Fossils of this species have been found since 1877, and specimens have been excavated across the United States. There are four species of domeosaurus, C. supremus, C. grandis, C. lentus and C. lewisi.

These dinosaurs were not the largest sauropods, which grew to be about 50 to 65 feet long (15 to 20 meters). They were about 20 feet (6 meters) tall and were estimated to weigh about 20 tons (40,000 pounds). The diet of Gyrosaurus mainly consisted of conifers, as that was the dominant plant of their time. In order to reproduce like other dinosaurs, Camarasuars laid eggs and left some egg fossils. For increased survivability, they traveled in companions with other sauropods.

4. Near dragon

Anchisaurus walked the Earth during the Late Jurassic period, 15 to 144 million years ago. This species lived in North America, and its fossils have been found in Nova Scotia, Canada, Connecticut and Arizona. Anchisaurus was a sauropod, but much smaller than some of their relatives. Unlike other sauropods, they were able to walk on two and four legs.

Anchisaurus measured between 6.6 and 13 feet (2.011 meters) in length and weighed about 60 pounds (27.2 kilograms). This species subsists primarily on plants, but they also occasionally eat meat.

5. Monospinosaurus

Haplocantosaurus was a sauropod dinosaur that lived in North America about 15.7 to 153 million years ago. Fossils of Monospinosaurus have been found in Colorado and Wyoming. Haplocantosaurus was able to grow to a length of over 49 feet (14.8 meters). Originally the dinosaur was named Haplocanthus, but the name was changed due to its closeness to another animal.

A total of four fossils of these dinosaurs have been found, and all of them are incomplete. Haplocantosaurs can weigh up to 25 tons and are so large they require a lot of food to feed their grass-fed diet. Ferns likely made up a large portion of this dinosaur's diet, as these plants were plentiful during the Jurassic period.

6. Mamenchisaurus

Mamenchisaurus was a sauropod dinosaur that lived in Asia during the Jurassic period. Fossils of this species have been found in China and Mongolia. The genus Memenchisaurus has about six species, but this may change over time as more fossil evidence is found in the future.

These dinosaurs grew to a length of about 65 feet (19.8 meters) and a height of 35 feet (10.6 meters). Their necks are very long and take up most of their length. This dinosaur shared features similar to other sauropods, such as walking on all fours and being herbivorous.

7. Liang Long

Weighing about 33,069 pounds (15,000 kilograms), Diplodocus was one of the largest animals that ever lived on Earth. This dinosaur had a long neck, walked on all fours, and had a whip-like tail. This species lived in the late Jurassic America. Roaming between 15.5 and 145 million years ago, fossils have been found in Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming. Diplodocus is a very common fossil, with more than 100 different specimens found. Their head is very rare because it is small, only about 2 feet (0.6 meters).

Being so large helped these herbivores feed on many tall trees during the Jurassic period. Their teeth, like combs, make it easy to pluck the plush leaves from the tree. With neck and tail, they are about 85 feet (26 meters) long. They were not the heaviest sauropods, weighing around 11 tons.

8. Dreadnought

Dreadnought is a type of titanosaur sauropod that lived in the late Jurassic period until the extinction of dinosaurs. These species are among the largest animals to walk on Earth, reaching a length of about 85 feet (26 meters). They walked on all fours and carried about 65 tons (130,000 lbs). Dreadnoughts lived in Argentina and other parts of South America.

The dinosaur was so large that it was named Dreadnoughtus. So large, they are almost untouchable as they are much larger than most predatory species. Their large tails and necks make them dangerous. Sauropods inhabit wooded forests to satisfy their voracious appetites. Most titanosaur fossils are incomplete, but Dreadnought has the most complete fossil of any species, with about 70 percent of its skeleton recovered.

9. Argentinosaurus

Towering high into the sky, Argentinosaurus is the largest dinosaur ever discovered. This sauropod, a type of titanosaur, was one of the largest dinosaurs ever seen. Argentinosuarus is named for where it was found on pastures in Argentina. Thirteen fossilized bones, discovered in 1987, let us know that this gigantic species once walked the Earth.

The large sauropod is estimated to have grown 98 to 130 feet (29 to 39 meters) long when fully grown. Argentinosaurus was much taller than the average giraffe, 70 feet overlooking everyone. The dinosaur was nearly the heaviest ever found, weighing between 110,000 and 220,000 pounds (49895.1 and 99790.3 kilograms). Computer generations using the fossil evidence left behind is how the species got its description.

Summary of 9 Long-Neck Dinosaurs

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