For long years after the discovery of six specimens, scientists finally named the largest animal that ever walked the face of Earth. The new titanosaur specie which existed during the Cretaceous-era of our planet is believed to be as big as 10 elephants combined.
One of Earth’s giant finally gets a name
Scientists officially announced the name given to the biggest dinosaur that ever lived on Earth. According to International Business Times, the new species of titanosaur which was unearthed on a ranch in Patagonia in Argentina four years ago is now officially referred to as the Patagotitan mayorum.
During the specimen unveiling ceremony at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, Paleontologist Diego Pol said that the dinosaur’s new name translates to “giant from Patagonia”. The giant got its name from three significant names. Patago is derived from the Patagonian region were its remains were uncovered. Titan comes from the Greek word titan, meaning huge. Mayo is the family surname of the Family that catered the researchers during the excavation process.
Examination of its remains reveal that the Patagotitan mayorum was a herbivore which trotted the planet about 100 million years ago. The reconstructed remains of the enormous dinosaur can be found in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
The thing is hard to miss since due to its enormous size, the specimen on display has its head and neck extend into the adjacent lobby.
How large is the Patagotitan mayorum?
After the discovery of six specimens, scientists have dedicated time and effort into the study of the new species. More than 160 individual fossils were also found in the Argentine quarry.
According to Gizmodo, researches discovered that the behemoths typically weighed about 69 tons or 69,000Kg. These giants were as heavy as space shuttles or 10 African elephants. A typical Patagotitan mayorum stood high and mighty at 37 meters, about two-thirds of the width of a football field. The top of the giant’s shoulder was 6m high, equivalent to four humans stacked on top of another.
The discovery of the enormous size of the Patagotitan mayorum brings the Argentinosaurus, another titanosaur species to second place on the list of Earth’s biggest land animals. Learning about these herbivorus dinosaurs have altered human knowledge. The Patagotitan mayorum replica is on display on the fourth floor the American Museum of Natural History.
