‘Cope’s Law’ might be wrong as the sauropods evolved their giant sizes many times

A new study by researchers at Adelphi University found that many more species of sauropods, more commonly called long-necked dinosaurs, independently evolved into gigantic creatures instead of becoming progressively larger over time. The study, “The Evolution of Maximum Body Size in Sauropod Dinosaurs,” was published in the May 8 Edition of Current Biology.

The sauropods were, without rival, the largest land-based creatures to ever walk on Earth. Many, like the iconic Brachiosaurus or Argentinasaurus, dwarfed anything that came before them or has come since. While it has been suggested…