Patagotitan Mayorum Ranks as Largest Known Dinosaur at 57 Tonnes and 37 Meters
Updated
Updated · BBC Discover Wildlife · Aug 2
Patagotitan Mayorum Ranks as Largest Known Dinosaur at 57 Tonnes and 37 Meters
3 articles · Updated · BBC Discover Wildlife · Aug 2
Summary
Patagotitan mayorum is identified as the largest, most complete dinosaur yet known, with scientists estimating it weighed 57 tonnes and stretched 37 meters from nose to tail.
More than 200 bones from six animals were excavated over three digs in Argentinian Patagonia after farm worker Aurelio Hernandez spotted a femur in 2010, giving researchers unusually strong confidence in its size estimates.
The 101-million-year-old titanosaur likely needed about 120 kg of vegetation a day, used its long neck to browse treetops, and moved in herds that may have reshaped forests as ecosystem engineers.
Researchers say giant sauropods may have evolved their size to process low-nutrient plants, while Patagotitan's lightweight air-filled bones and columnar limbs helped it approach what may be the upper limit for land animals.