Is this a realistic neck position for Elasmosaurus?

[andrewsaurus rex]

i've been working on my Kaiyodo 1/20 Elasmosaurus model, trying to get the neck straighter by heating and bending it.  I've made some progress but it's getting to the point where if i bend it any further the hollow neck is starting to buckle on one side.

i've been reading up about Elasmosaurus' neck flexibility and there are differing views.  But one thing they all seem to have in common is showing images of the neck bending in one continuous direction, rather than showing the neck 'snaking' eg part of the neck bending to the right and another part to the left, even if all the curves are gentle per a neck of limited flexibility.

To me it makes no sense to evolve a long neck, with 70 plus vertebrae only to have it fairly stiff and inflexible.  If a long stiff neck is desired, why not just have the individual vertebrae get longer, as in Tanystropheus, why evolve dozens of extra vertebrae?  So the large number of vertebrae suggests to me some agility with the neck was needed.

Anyway, i would appreciate opinions from those more knowledgeable than i.  Please look at the 3 pics below and tell me if you think this is a plausible neck for Elasmosaurus.  Be honest, please don't just say what you think i want to hear. 


<a href="https://ibb.co/sgvyFxp">

<a href="https://ibb.co/4mXQq84">

<a href="https://ibb.co/thBcW4C">

[DinoToyForum]

Yep, looks fine to me. Here's my depiction of the published range estimates for elasmosaurid necks. They are slightly more flexible towards the head.

[andrewsaurus rex]

thanks, Dr. Smith, it's nice to have your validation.  My concern was not just the flexibility, but the 'snaking' of the neck.  I wasn't sure if the musculature would allow for part of the neck to bend one way and another part the opposite way. ie would the entire neck have to bend to the right or left, as in the illustrations you posted,, or could part of it bend right with another part bending left at the same time (and the same for up and down).   I'm not even sure if it's possible to tell from fossils how the musculature would work or what it was capable of doing.

[DinoToyForum]

I see no reason why they couldn't form 's' shapes in basically any combination of the full ranges above.

[andrewsaurus rex]

Great!  Thanks again for the info.

[Halichoeres]

I see no reason why they couldn't form 's' shapes in basically any combination of the full ranges above.

That's good to know. I can sort of dimly imagine a configuration of ligaments that could make flexion in two different directions difficult, but I don't know whether or how that would be evident on the bones. If anybody would know, I expect you would.