Erketu

Erketu was a bizarrely proportioned sauropod discovered in the Bayn Shireh Formation of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. Dating to the early part of the Late Cretaceous, it is known from an articulated series of neck vertebrae along with partial leg bones. The neck of Erketu was extraordinary, estimated to have been over twice the length of its torso, with extremely elongated individual cervical vertebrae. Despite having a neck exceeding eight metres in length, its limbs and body were relatively small and slender, giving the whole animal an estimated length of roughly 15 metres. This extreme elongation represents a peak of sauropod high-browsing specialisation. Erketu browsed upon leaves and twigs in lush Cretaceous floodplains, using its extended reach to gather food without moving its main body weight.

Its neck was proportionally longer relative to its body than almost any other known sauropod.

Where and when

Erketu lived in the Late Cretaceous, from 100 to 89 million years ago (Cenomanian-Turonian age). Its remains come from Mongolia, in the Bayn Shireh Formation.

The numbers

Length 16 m (estimates run from 15 to 16 m). Mass about 4.9 t. Hip height about 3 m. That is 9.1 human-lengths, or 1.38 of a double-decker bus. These are estimates from partial skeleton; fields marked estimated by the site are length, mass, first ma, last ma, hip height.

Compare Erketu with a bus Place on the timeline