By far the most recognizable feature of Tanystropheus is its hyperelongate neck, equivalent to the combined length of the body and tail.
The neck was composed of 12–13 hyperelongate cervical vertebrae.
Cervical elongation reached its peak with cervical vertebra 9, which was ten times longer than it was tall.
Weak development of cervical spines suggest that epaxial musculature was underdeveloped in Tanystropheus and that intrinsic back muscles (e.g., m. longus cervicis) were the driving force behind neck movement.
Subvertical placement of the pre- and postzygapophyses suggested limited lateral movement of the neck, whereas cervical ribs extending off these vertebrae would have formed a ventral brace that would transmit the forces from the weight of head and neck down to the pectoral girdle, providing passive support by limiting dorsoventral flexion.
The body contained 13 hourglass-shaped dorsal vertebrae, two sacral vertebrae and approximately twelve caudal vertebrae with weakly developed dorsal and haemal spines along with well-developed transverse processes.

The pectoral and pelvic girdles are notably distinct.
The forelimbs are smaller and more gracile than the hindlimbs, suggesting that the center of mass for Tanystropheus was closer towards the pelvic girdle.
Attachment sites for the m. caudofemoralis muscle complex, coupled with soft-tissue preservation of relative muscle size, further support the proposition that Tanystropheus was a fairly bottom-heavy animal.
By far the most recognizable feature of Tanystropheus is its hyperelongate neck, equivalent to the combined length of the body and tail. The neck was composed of 12–13 hyperelongate cervical vertebrae. Cervical elongation reached its peak with cervical vertebra 9, which was ten times longer than it was tall. Weak development of cervical spines suggest that epaxial musculature was underdeveloped in Tanystropheus and that intrinsic back muscles (e.g., m. longus cervicis) were the driving force behind neck movement. Subvertical placement of the pre- and postzygapophyses suggested limited lateral movement of the neck, whereas cervical ribs extending off these vertebrae would have formed a ventral brace that would transmit the forces from the weight of head and neck down to the pectoral girdle, providing passive support by limiting dorsoventral flexion. The body contained 13 hourglass-shaped dorsal vertebrae, two sacral vertebrae and approximately twelve caudal vertebrae with weakly developed dorsal and haemal spines along with well-developed transverse processes.
The pectoral and pelvic girdles are notably distinct. The forelimbs are smaller and more gracile than the hindlimbs, suggesting that the center of mass for Tanystropheus was closer towards the pelvic girdle. Attachment sites for the m. caudofemoralis muscle complex, coupled with soft-tissue preservation of relative muscle size, further support the proposition that Tanystropheus was a fairly bottom-heavy animal.
Tanystropheus