# a question on sauropods

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-on-sauropods/195675>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 17, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-on-sauropods/195675 "2003-08-17T00:17:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-on-sauropods/195675/1 "2003-08-17T00:17:31Z")

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Has their been a determination on whether or not long necked sauropods (brachiosaurus, apatasaurus, etc.) were able to keep their heads up in the air? I am aware of the debate but unaware of any conclusions.

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**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-on-sauropods/195675/2 "2003-08-17T00:28:36Z")

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apologies, “Has there…”

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-on-sauropods/195675/3 "2003-08-17T00:34:59Z")

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The latest conclusions are they they could lift their heads only a little higher than the top of their back. The “classic” pose, like in the old Sinclair Oil logos, was not physically possible, based on the latest models.

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**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-on-sauropods/195675/4 "2003-08-17T04:14:10Z")

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It depends on the sauropod. _Camarasaurus_, for one, was thought to be able to hold its neck almost vertically, while others, such as _Apatosaurus_ are thought to have had much less mobility. _Mamenchisaurus_ is thought to have been able to hold its head up at about a 45-degree angle.

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**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-on-sauropods/195675/5 "2003-08-17T10:22:20Z")

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so why did their necks get so long. Seems kind of silly to evolve a long neck to reach food that you could have walked to.