Towering high above all other animals in the grasslands and open woodlands of Africa, giraffes are the tallest animals we see around today.
Their most prominent feature is their long, sloping necks, which makes them instantly recognizable.
But long before mammals evolved into such large sizes, the dinosaurs were the planet’s biggest animals, and they grew into some very interesting forms.
The most majestic of them all were the long-necked dinosaurs, especially those in the Sauropoda suborder.
Like the giraffes today (but significantly taller), these long-necked dinosaurs leveraged their immensely long necks to reach vegetation.
Their height would have also given them a better chance against predator species in their habitat, among other benefits.
In this article, we’ll list 15 of these amazing dinosaurs with extremely long necks and discuss some of the fascinating facts about each of them.
15. Brachiosaurus
| Name | Brachiosaurus |
| Name Meaning | Arm Lizard |
| Pronunciation | BRACK-ee-oh-SAWR-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Jurassic |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 9 meters (30 feet) |
| Length | 18 and 22 meters (59 and 72 feet) |
| Weight | 30-40 metric tons (66,000-88,000 pounds) |
| Location | USA (North America) |
When the 153 million-year-old fossil of the Brachiosaurus was discovered in the 1900s, it was a marvel to paleontologists who quickly noted the extremely long humerus of this dinosaur, even for a sauropod.
The newly discovered dinosaur genus was subsequently named arm lizard, a reference to these unusually long forelimbs.
Brachiosaurus was recognized as the largest dinosaur ever found and retained the title for many years before it was deposed by more recent findings.
The massive sauropod lived in North America during the Late Jurassic Period.
Estimates for this dinosaur’s body length range between 18 and 22 meters (59 and 72 feet).
But it may have been bigger since the type of fossil was that of a subadult individual.
The Brachiosaurus weighed between 28.3 and 46.9 metric tons (62,390.8 and 103,396.8 pounds), which is as much as 12 African Elephants.
14. Apatosaurus
| Name | Apatosaurus |
| Name Meaning | Deceptive Lizard |
| Pronunciation | Ah-PAT-oh-SAWR-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Jurassic |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 7–9 meters (23–30 feet) at the hips |
| Length | 21–23 meters (69–75 feet) |
| Weight | 16.4–22.4 tons (36,000-49,000 pounds) |
| Location | USA (North America) |
The Apatosaurus was not just a long-necked dinosaur species; it also had a bulky build compared to other sauropod dinosaurs.
The average length of this dinosaur is about 21 to 23 meters (69–75 feet), and it may have weighed between 16.4 and 22.4 tons on average.
The limbs of the Apatosaurus were different from that of other sauropods too.
They were not as elongated as that of their closest relatives, and the hindlimbs were larger than the forelimbs, meaning the dinosaur’s body was slightly inclined forward.
Discovered in the late 19th century, Apatosaurus was a controversial dinosaur for several years.
The dinosaur’s bones were initially mistaken for the bones of a marine reptile known as Mosasaurus.
This prompted the name “deceptive lizard,” referring to the fossil’s confusing identity.
Apatosaurus was also mixed up with another dinosaur known as the Brontosaurus for up to a century and was often displayed with the head of another dinosaur (Camarasaurus).
Recent studies have shown that these dinosaurs are distinct individuals, and this has helped to clear up the confusion about the Apatoasaurus’ identity.
13. Paralititan
| Name | Paralititan |
| Name Meaning | Near Titan |
| Pronunciation | par-uh-LIT-i-tan |
| Era | Mesozoic – Early Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 5–6 meters (16–20 feet) at the hips |
| Length | 26–30 meters (85–98 feet) |
| Weight | 50-70 metric tons (110,000-154,000 pounds) |
| Location | Egypt (Africa) |
Paralititan was a titanosaurian sauropod that lived in the coastal region of Egypt during the Late Cretaceous Period about 99.6 and 93.5 million years ago.
The tidal giant was one of the largest sauropod dinosaurs ever discovered on the African continent.
Estimates of the dinosaur’s length range between 20 and 32 meters (66–105 feet), while the weight has been estimated to be between 20 and 70 tons.
Limited fossil fragments have made it difficult to determine the dinosaur’s true size.
The Bahariya Formation in Egypt, where the fossil of this dinosaur was found, has been interpreted as a mangrove forest located on the southern shores of the Tethys Sea.
Paralititan is one of the few sauropod dinosaurs known to have lived in this type of habitat.
12. Isisaurus
| Name | Isisaurus |
| Name Meaning | Named after the Indian Institute of Statistics (ISI) |
| Pronunciation | I-si-sore-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 5 meters (16 feet) |
| Length | 18 meters (59 feet) |
| Weight | 15 tons (30,000 pounds) |
| Location | India (Asia) |
Isisaurus is a genus of titanosaurian dinosaur that lived in India and Pakistan during the Late Cretaceous Period.
It is considered a medium-sized titanosaur but still manages to reach a length of about 18 meters (59 feet) and weighs 15 metric tons.
Not only was the Isisaurus’ neck long, but it was also quite thick.
This dinosaur’s build is different from that of other sauropods.
The forelimbs of the Isisaurus were considerably longer than the hind limbs. The dinosaur’s neck was also vertically directed, similar to modern giraffes.
Due to this posture, the Isisaurus could feed from the top of trees, and studies show that it had a varied diet.
This titanosaurian dinosaur is known from well-preserved fossils.
It is one of the few Cretaceous dinosaurs from India with well-preserved bones.
Scientists have also found coprolites of the Isisaurus in a good preservation state, and studies on these coprolites provided insight into the dinosaur’s possible diet.
11. Brontosaurus
| Name | Brontosaurus |
| Name Meaning | Thunder Lizard |
| Pronunciation | BRON-toh-SAWR-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Jurassic |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 7-9 meters (23-30 feet) |
| Length | 21–22 meters(69–72 feet) |
| Weight | 15-17 metric tons (33,000-34,000 pounds) |
| Location | USA (North America) |
The Brontosaurus is arguably the most popular long-necked dinosaur commonly depicted in popular media.
It lived in North America during the Early Cretaceous Period, about 156 to 146 million years ago.
Size estimates for the largest species of Brontosaurus ranged between 21 and 22 meters (69–72 feet) in length and a mass of about 15 to 17 tons.
The Brontosaurus is known for its long, whip-like tail and robust neck, which was more heavily built compared to those of its relatives.
Despite being well-known to paleontologists and the general public, this dinosaur suffered an identity crisis that went on for several years.
It was mistaken for another closely related sauropod known as Apatosaurus.
As a result, the name Brontosaurus was not officially recognized for several years.
However, a morphological study of the two genera carried out in 2015 has revealed the physical differences between these two dinosaurs, prompting scientists to place them in separate, distinct genera.
10. Omeisaurus
| Name | Omeisaurus |
| Name Meaning | Omei Mountain Lizard |
| Pronunciation | oh-MAY-sawr-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Jurassic |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 4–6 meters (13–20 feet) |
| Length | 18–20.2 meters (59–66 feet) |
| Weight | 8.5–9.8 metric tons (18,739-21,605lbs) |
| Location | China (Asia) |
The Omeisaurus was named after Mount Emei in the Sichuan Province of China, where the first fossil of this dinosaur was found.
The long-necked sauropod is one of the most well-known dinosaurs from that region of Asia, thanks to abundant fossil records.
Fossils of the Omeisaurus are often found in groups, indicating that they lived in herds when they were alive.
In one fossil site, up to 16 separate Omeisaurus individuals were found together, some in good preservation.
The largest Omeisaurus species was about 18 to 20.2 meters (59–66 feet) long and weighed between 8.5 and 9.8 metric tons.
The dinosaur was alive during the Middle Jurassic Period, about 168 to 163 million years ago.
9. Camarasaurus
| Name | Camarasaurus |
| Name Meaning | Chambered Lizard |
| Pronunciation | kah-MAR-uh-SAWR-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Jurassic |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 4-5 meters (13-16 feet) at the hips |
| Length | 15-23 meters (49-75 feet) |
| Weight | 20-47 metric tons (44,000-103,000 pounds) |
| Location | USA (North America) |
Fossils of the Camarasaurus were first collected in 1877 from the Garden Park fossil site in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
This dinosaur is the first sauropod dinosaur ever reconstructed.
At the time of its discovery, the Camarasaurus was the largest terrestrial vertebrate known to paleontologists.
Today, the dinosaur is considered moderately sized compared to larger sauropods that have since been discovered.
Estimated body length for this dinosaur range between 15 and 23 meters (49–75 feet) for the largest species, with a maximum weight of about 47 metric tons.
Camarasaurus is very popular with paleontologists because it is one of the most commonly discovered dinosaurs in the Late Jurassic rocks of North America.
Camarasaurus is named after the air sacs found in their neck vertebrae, which makes the bones both lightweight and strong.
8. Daxiatitan
| Name | Daxiatitan |
| Name Meaning | Daxia Giant |
| Pronunciation | dahk-see-uh-TY-tan |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Jurassic |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 5-6 meters (16-20 feet) |
| Length | 25–30 meters (82–98 feet) |
| Weight | 23 metric tons (50,000 pounds) |
| Location | China (Asia) |
The Daxiatitan is one of the largest known dinosaurs from prehistoric China.
Length estimates for this dinosaur ranged between 23 and 30 meters (75–98 feet), and it weighed at least 23 tons.
The Daxiatitan also had one of the longest necks of all sauropods, reaching at least 12 meters (39 feet).
Its massive body was supported by robust legs capable of bearing tremendous weight.
Daxiatitan lived in China during the Early Cretaceous Period about 129.4 million years ago.
The dinosaur is known from only one fossil, but most of the neck vertebrae are preserved, providing a good idea of just how big this dinosaur was.
The genus was discovered in 2008 and is named after the Daxia River in China, where the fossil of the dinosaur was found.
7. Alamosaurus
| Name | Alamosaurus |
| Name Meaning | Alamo Lizard |
| Pronunciation | AL-uh-moh-SAWR-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 6-9 meters (20-30 feet) at the hips |
| Length | 16 meters (53 feet) |
| Weight | 30-33 metric tons (66,000-72,000) |
| Location | USA (North America) |
This titanosaurian sauropod is arguably the largest dinosaur known to have lived in North America.
It is also one of the biggest in the world, rivaling South American sauropods like the Argentinosaurus.
The large quadrupedal herbivore reached lengths of up to 16 meters (53 feet) and weighed about 33 tons on average.
Size estimates for this dinosaur are based on juvenile fossils, which means it may have been bigger than this.
Alamosaurus lived during a unique time in North America’s paleontological history.
It is the only sauropod known to have lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous, following a sauropod hiatus characterized by a complete absence of sauropod dinosaurs in the fossil record.
This also means it was one of the last non-avian dinosaurs around.
The Alamosaurus is one of the few sauropods with notable body armor.
Parts of this dinosaur’s body were covered by huge osteoderms, or bony spikes, which provided added protection against predators.
6. Puertasaurus
| Name | Puertasaurus |
| Name Meaning | Puerta Lizard |
| Pronunciation | pwer-tuh-SAWR-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 6–7 meters (20–23 feet) at the hips |
| Length | 35–40 meters (115 to 131 feet) |
| Weight | 50-70 metric tons (110,000-154,000 pounds) |
| Location | Argentina (South America) |
Puertasaurus was a sauropod dinosaur that lived in South America during the Late Cretaceous Period.
Although known from fragmentary remains, evidence suggests that this dinosaur was one of the largest long-necked dinosaurs to have ever lived.
The length of this dinosaur’s neck alone is about 9 meters (30 feet).
Estimates of the total length range between 35 and 40 meters (115 to 131 feet), and it weighed about 50 to 70 tons.
One of the backbones of the Puertasaurus had a width of about 1.68 meters (5 feet 6 inches), making it the broadest known vertebra of any sauropod.
The region where Puertasaurus lived was a humid forest home to other giant dinosaur species.
5. Mamenchisaurus
| Name | Mamenchisaurus |
| Name Meaning | Mamenchi Lizard |
| Pronunciation | Mah-men-CHEE-sawr-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Jurassic |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 10–15 meters (33–49 feet) |
| Length | 21 to 22 meters (69 to 72 feet) |
| Weight | 20–40 metric tons (44,000–88,000 pounds) |
| Location | China (Asia) |
With up to 19 vertebrae, the neck of the Mamenchisaurus was almost as long as the rest of its body and tail combined.
The average length of this dinosaur’s neck was about 9.3 meters (31 feet), while the total body length was between 21 and 22 meters (69 to 72 feet).
For context, the giraffe’s neck is only about six feet long, which means the Mamenchisaurus’ neck was up to four times longer than that of a giraffe.
To support this extremely long neck, the Mamenchisaurus had long overlapping cervical ribs.
However, this may have limited flexibility for this dinosaur except for the neck base and the area closest to the head.
The structure of the Mamenchisaurus’ neck vertebrae has prompted speculations that they browsed on low-lying plants instead of eating from high up in trees.
Mamenchisaurus lived in China from the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous periods. At least five species have been identified in the genus, and a few others are yet to be decided.
4. Argentinosaurus
| Name | Argentinosaurus |
| Name Meaning | Argentine Lizard |
| Pronunciation | ar-jen-tee-no-SAWR-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 6–8 meters (20–26 feet) |
| Length | 30–35 meters (98–115 feet) |
| Weight | 70–100 metric tons (154,000–220,000 pounds) |
| Location | Argentina (South America) |
The Argentinosaurus is one of the largest South American dinosaurs and also one of the largest land animals to have ever lived.
As the name suggests, the giant sauropod lived in Argentina during the Late Cretaceous Period, in a region known for other massive dinosaurs.
Due to the fragmentary nature of this dinosaur’s remains, it has been difficult to estimate the true size of the Argentinosaurus.
Estimates of the dinosaur’s length range from about 27 meters (89 feet) on the low end to as high as 35 meters (115 feet).
Based on this estimate, the Argentinosaurus was not as long as some other sauropods like the Supersaurus but was significantly bulkier.
Estimates for the dinosaur’s mass range between 50 and 100 tons, making it one of the largest known dinosaurs.
3. Diplodocus
| Name | Diplodocus |
| Name Meaning | Double Beam |
| Pronunciation | Di-PLOH-doh-kus |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Jurassic |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 4-6 meters (13-20 feet) at the hips |
| Length | 29–33.5 meters(95–110 feet) |
| Weight | 30–80 tons (66,000–176,000 pounds) |
| Location | USA (North America) |
Diplodocus is one of the most popular long-necked dinosaurs, commonly depicted in popular media, museum exhibits, and scientific literature.
Fossils of this dinosaur were found in the 19th century, and for many years after its discovery, it was the longest dinosaur known.
This dinosaur lived in mid-western North America during the Late Jurassic Period.
The length of the Diplodocus was about 29 to 33.5 meters (95–110 feet) for the largest species.
In addition to an extremely long neck, this dinosaur’s tail was also quite long and extremely flexible.
The middle part of the Diplodocus’ muscular tail formed a “double beam,” which explains the dinosaur’s name.
Diplodocus was quadrupedal, but experts believe it was capable of rearing up its upper body to reach plants while using its tail for support.
This would have been impressive for a dinosaur of the Diplodocus’ size.
The beam, formed by oddly shaped chevron bones in the Diplodocus’ tail, provided support for the dinosaur’s vertebrae and may have also helped to protect the large blood vessels in the tail.
2. Dreadnoughtus
| Name | Dreadnoughtus |
| Name Meaning | Fear Nothing |
| Pronunciation | dred-NAWT-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 5–6 meters (16–20 feet) |
| Length | 26–29 meters (85–95 feet) |
| Weight | 55 to 65 metric tons (121,000–143,000 pounds) |
| Location | Argentina (South America) |
With a total head and neck length of about 11 meters (37 feet), the Dreadnoughtus had one of the longest necks of any known dinosaur.
It is also considered the heaviest land animal ever discovered, weighing as much as 70 tons by some estimates.
That’s higher than the weight of a Boeing 737-900 airliner.
The gigantic Dreadnoughtus was about 26 meters (85 feet) long and stood about six meters (19 feet) tall at the hips.
Fossils of this dinosaur are surprisingly well-preserved.
At least 70% of the Dreadnoughtus’ body has been recovered so far, making it one of the best-known dinosaurs with such a massive size.
1. Supersaurus
| Name | Supersaurus |
| Name Meaning | Super Lizard |
| Pronunciation | SOO-per-SAWR-us |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Jurassic |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Sauropoda |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Height | 13–16 meters (43–52 feet) |
| Length | 33–35 meters (108–115 feet) |
| Weight | 25-40 metric tons (55,000-88,000 pounds) |
| Location | USA (North America) |
The aptly named Supersaurus is often considered the longest dinosaur known today based on complete fossils.
Not only did this dinosaur have a long neck, it had an equally long tail.
The total body length of the supersaurus was about 33 to 35 meters (108–115 feet).
However, according to more recent estimates, it may have been as long as 39 meters (128 feet).
Fossils of this dinosaur have been dated to be between 153 and 145 million years old, which places it in Late Jurassic North America.
Despite being extremely long, the Supersaurus did not have a bulky build.
The estimate for this dinosaur’s weight is 25 to 40 metric tons, meaning it was not as heavy as other large similarly-sized sauropods.
Sources
- https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/b/Brachiosaurus.htm
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamenchisaurus
- https://www.livescience.com/supersaurus-longest-dinosaur-on-record
- https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Diplodocus/311025
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isisaurus
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/back-brontosaurus-dinosaur-just-might-deserve-its-own-genus-species-science-180954892/
- https://australian.museum/learn/dinosaurs/fact-sheets/omeisaurus-tianfuensis/
- https://nhmu.utah.edu/camarasaurus
- https://eartharchives.org/articles/remember-the-alamosaurus-america-s-armored-dinosaur-titan/index.html
- https://carnegiemnh.org/mesozoic-monthly-dreadnoughtus/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paralititan
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