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UrduPlesiosaurs gained their famous long necks rapidly, researchers have shown.
Tag: Vertebrae
Palaeontology: No supersonic boom for dinosaur tails
Diplodocids – large herbivorous dinosaurs with long necks and tails – may have been able to move their tails like bullwhips at speeds of up to 33 metres per second (more than 100 kilometres per hour), according to a modelling study published in Scientific Reports.
Ribs evolved for movement first, then co-opted for breathing
A major transformation in vertebrate evolution took place when breathing shifted from being driven by head and throat muscles—like in fish and frogs—to the torso—like in reptiles and mammals. But what caused the shift? A new study posits that the intermediate step was locomotion—the mechanics follow the same pattern as inhalation and exhalation.