Inside Mamenchisaurus

Part of the The World's Largest Dinosaurs exhibition.

No one has ever seen inside a sauropod. After all, flesh doesn't fossilize. But today's experts are making science-based reconstructions of the biological systems that allowed members of this group to become the largest animals that ever walked.

By understanding how these ancient giants chewed--or didn't chew!--how their digestion worked, how they breathed, scientists are coming closer to unraveling the mystery of size.

Article Eating Elephants must feed for 18 hours a day. Sauropods could be could be 10 times elephant-size, or more, so how did they find enough... Article Hearts A heart is an amazing organ, whether beating in a hummingbird, a human or a sauropod. The bigger the animal, the bigger and more... Article Lungs Most likely you won't even recognize the lungs of Mamenchisaurus as lungs, they're so different from yours. And the lungs were just... Article Metabolism How much food did these giants need? That depends on how much energy they used. Scientists are trying to figure out if sauropods... Article Necks Long necks were a key reason sauropods were able to get so big. Long necks let the animals reach foods other plant eaters couldn't,... Article Brains There's no getting around it: sauropods did have small brains in their small heads.

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Size and Scale Meet Mamenchisaurus Outside Mamenchisaurus Digging Up Sauropods The Future About the Exhibition Resources For Educators: The World's Largest Dinosaurs Collaborators