DOI: 10.5061/dryad.2ngf1vj00
title: Data from: Standing giants: A digital biomechanical model for bipedal postures in sauropod dinosaurs

description: 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.
description: # Data from: Standing giants: A digital biomechanical model for bipedal
 postures in sauropod dinosaurs
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.2ngf1vj00](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.