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Long-necked dinosaurs like Brontosaurus and Diplodocus preferred warm, tropical places to cooler ones according to a new study.

Research done by University College London and the University of Vigo looked at where the fossils of three types of dinosaurs from a period of time known as the Mesozoic era were discovered.

Their investigation found that sauropod fossils were usually discovered closer to the equator - where the weather tends to be warmer.

Co-author Dr Philip Mannion, UCL Earth Sciences, said: "This suggests sauropods had different thermal requirements from other dinosaurs, relying more on their external environment to heat their bodies - slightly closer to being 'cold-blooded', like modern-day reptiles."

A sauropod is a dinosaur with a long neck, small head, a long tail and four trunk-like legs.

They were herbivorous - meaning they did not eat any meat, only plants.

Millions of years ago in the Mesozoic era, colder climes like the polar regions would have not been as icy as they are today, and instead would have covered with lush, green vegetation.

But it appears these places still would have been too cold for sauropods, who may have been especially adapted to the heat of the equator.

Sauropods were some of the largest dinosaurs on the planet, which is why the scientists who authored this study think they preferred warmer climates.

Dr Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza said: "Their long necks and tails would have given them a larger surface area, and they may have had a respiratory system more akin to birds, which is much more efficient."