Researchers have cracked the mystery of how sauropod dinosaurs were able to carry their gigantic bodies on land. Dr. Andréas Jannel, now a postdoctoral researcher at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, conducted the research as part of his doctoral studies at the University of Queensland’s Dinosaur Lab. The University of Queensland and Monash University-led research team found that the sauropods‘ hind feet had a soft tissue pad beneath the ‘heel’ that cushioned the foot to absorb their immense weight.
The team used 3D modelling and engineering methods to digitally reconstruct and test the function of the foot bones of various sauropods.