Alpinestars bionic neck support 2 or leatt adventure?

How did Apatosaurus avoid getting neck pain? And what counterforce on the base of its neck was necessary in order to support its super-long neck?

• It has a huge neck that contributes to a really long moment arm, which in turn, increases the torque around the base of its neck. Plus, its neck is sideways, unlike the neck of a giraffe, which is closer to the horizontal center of mass of the giraffe. So then, what tissues/organs did it take for Brontosaurus to resist that huge torque that its huge neck exerts? It's almost like a truly extreme version of slouching/hunching.

• Answer:

  The science behind Apatosaurus' neck is actually pretty interesting - at least if you're a dinosaur geek like me! To begin with, the long neck of Apatosaurus which measured in at around 40 feet long was counter weighted by a long tapered tail that measured in at around 50 feet long, this prevented unbalance in this dinosaur. Modern research has found that the structure of the vertebrae in the Apatosaurus' neck would not have allowed this dinosaur to hold its head much higher than the level of it's back. In order for Apatosaurus to lift it's head higher than it's back it would have had to have stood with an arched back in order to prevent the neck vertebrae from mashing against each other. This type of back arching stance would not have been feasible for such a large creature. This means that Apatosaurus held it's neck parallel to the ground at most and fed somewhat like a giant mower rather then reaching up to taller growth like giraffes do. The length of the neck would also have allowed Apatosaurus to reach across swampy land that was unsafe to stand on, to reach more lush vegetation. Research seems to indicate that the Apatosaurus most commonly held its head at a 45 degree angle with its head pointed downwards. The slender head of Apatosaurus would not have been considerably weighty meaning that very little strain would have been put on the neck when standing in a neutral posture. The shoulders and neck of Apatosaurus were believed to have been made up of considerable musculature - although no research to date has targeted this subject because of a lack of available information. The base of Apatosaurus' neck was also extremely thick, where the top of the neck where the head attached was more slender. The spinal vertebrae were also hollow which decreased the amount of weight that the neck and shoulder muscles had to uphold. A deep chest and midsection, shorter forelimbs than hindlimbs and incredibly large cervical ribs also contributed to the ability of Apatosaurus to hold its neck in a "parallel" position. If you're looking for a more in depth and anatomical answer I highly suggest reading this post: http://svpow.com/2011/11/18/sideshow-collectibles-apatosaurus-maquette-part-3-the-neck/ Bonus fact: Did you know that scientists believe that the blood pressure of Apatosaurus was three to four times that of a human being in order to ensure that all extremities of the body received adequate blood flow?