Data from: Standing giants: A digital biomechanical model for bipedal postures in sauropod dinosaurs
Data files
Jul 31, 2025 version files 1.07 GB
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README.md
3.60 KB
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Supplementary_Silva_Junior.zip
1.07 GB
Abstract
Here we explore the potential of sauropod dinosaurs to adopt a bipedal or tripodal stance using digital biomechanical modeling and Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Seven sauropod species from diverse lineages and sizes were sampled, and 3D models of their femora were analyzed under both extrinsic (body weight distribution) and intrinsic (muscular force) functional scenarios. The results indicate that smaller sauropods, like the saltasaurid titanosaur Neuquensaurus, were more capable of sustaining bipedal postures, likely due to their robust femora combined with advantageous muscle attachment areas. In contrast, larger sauropods such as Dreadnoughtus experienced higher stress levels, making bipedal postures less likely for extended periods. Our analysis provides new insights into sauropod functional evolution, highlighting that species size and morphology significantly influenced their ability to rear up, which could have played a role in behaviors such as feeding, defense, and reproduction.
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.2ngf1vj00
README – Description of the data and file structure
Associated with Silva Junior et al. [2025]
General overview
This repository contains the supplementary files for the finite element analysis (FEA) conducted on sauropod long bones. The data include original surface meshes, stress output files (CSV and VTK formats), Python scripts, and metadata linking models to their MorphoSource identifiers.
The 3D models were obtained through surface scanning and are compatible with software such as Blender, MeshLab, and ParaView.
This data set includes:
File 1: Musculature reconstructed to the intrinsic models (*.tiff
). Meshes retrieved from Blender with random colors attributed. Elements out of scale.
File 2: Resulting meshes showing von Mises stress (*.vtk
) for the extrinsic analyses.
File 3: Von Mises stress per elements for the extrinsic analyses (*csv
).
File 4: Meshes used on the analyses. Morphosource IDs (*.doc
).
File 5: Resulting meshes showing von Mises stress (*.vtk
) for the intrinsic analyses.
File 6: Von Mises stress per elements for the intrinsic analyses (*csv
).
File 7: Scripts used on both analyses (*.py
).
File and folder structure
File: Supplementary_Silva_Junior.zip
This compressed folder contains the following files and subfolders:
File 1 – Musculature reconstructions
Format: .tiff
Description:
Tiff images representing musculature reconstructions associated with intrinsic models. Meshes were created in Blender with arbitrary coloration. Elements are not to scale.
File 2 – Extrinsic stress models
Format: .vtk
Description:
Finite element models showing von Mises stress results from the extrinsic analysis. Can be visualized using ParaView or other VTK-compatible software.
File 3 – Extrinsic stress values
Format: .csv
Description:
Spreadsheets containing von Mises stress values per element for the extrinsic models. Includes node coordinates and force vectors.
File 4 – MorphoSource metadata
Format: .xlsx
Description:
Spreadsheet containing specimen IDs, taxonomic identifications, description of the models, and DOI links to each entry on MorphoSource.
File 5 – Intrinsic stress models
Format: .vtk
Description:
Meshes showing von Mises stress results from the intrinsic analysis (i.e., stress normalized by relative density). Also compatible with ParaView.
File 6 – Intrinsic stress values
Format: .csv
Description:
Spreadsheets containing von Mises stress values per element for the intrinsic models, including force data and coordinates.
File 7 – Analysis scripts
Format: .py
Description:
Python scripts used for preprocessing, stress extraction, and model normalization. Can be edited and executed using any Python IDE or text editor (e.g., Visual Studio Code, Spyder).
Species represented
The dataset includes models and stress analyses for the following sauropod taxa:
- Amargasaurus cazaui
- Australotitan cooperensis
- Diplodocus sp.
- Dreadnoughtus schrani
- Giraffatitan (= Brachiosaurus brancai)
- Neuquensaurus australis
- Uberabatitan ribeiroi
Each taxon is represented by at least one 3D mesh and corresponding FEA data in both extrinsic and intrinsic formats. All specimens are accounted for in file 4 (MorphoSource_IDs.xlsx).
Access information
Other publicly accessible locations of the data: The Morphosources IDs are linked in the supplementary.