At what approximate angle does the neural arch of the *Xenoposeidon* vertebra lean relative to the centrum's vertical axis?
Answer
Roughly 35 degrees
A defining and unusual feature of the *Xenoposeidon* dorsal vertebra is the orientation of its neural arch, the structure responsible for protecting the spinal cord. This arch exhibits a pronounced forward lean, tilting at an angle of roughly 35 degrees relative to the vertical axis of the main vertebral body, known as the centrum. This configuration, alongside the presence of features like v-shaped laminae on the arch, was considered unparalleled when compared against contemporary sauropod fossil material available to the describing paleontologists.
Related Questions
What is the meaning of the genus name *Xenoposeidon*?What catalog number identifies the partial dorsal vertebra of *Xenoposeidon*?Which paleontologists formally named *Xenoposeidon proneneukos* in 2007?At what approximate angle does the neural arch of the *Xenoposeidon* vertebra lean relative to the centrum's vertical axis?If *Xenoposeidon* was built heavily like *Brachiosaurus*, what was the corresponding estimated weight?What did Richard Lydekker initially suggest the bone specimen belonged to in 1893?The dorsal vertebra of *Xenoposeidon* was unearthed near Hastings in rocks belonging to which geological formation?What family did the 2018 analysis by Taylor suggest *Xenoposeidon proneneukos* is a basal member of?Which famous contemporary dinosaur, a large ornithopod, shared the Early Cretaceous environment of *Xenoposeidon*?What is the Greek meaning of the species epithet *proneneukos*?