| Patagonia has become synonymous with 'giant' | | | | Pieces of Argentinosaurus were first unearthed in |
| discoveries of the prehistoric world. Dinosaurs that | | | | 1988 by a farmer named Guillermo Heredia in |
| dwarf their contemporaries are found here | | | | Argentina. All in all, about 10 percent of the |
| frequently and paleontologists are flocking to the | | | | skeleton was recovered, the vertebra being the |
| region to unearth them. | | | | largest ever found at 5 feet high. |
| Giganotosaurus, the largest carnivorous dinosaur | | | | Puertasaurus |
| at 45-feet-long, was dug up in this region along | | | | In 2001 excavation began on the fossilized |
| with a number of other massive Sauropods and | | | | remains of another giant Titanosaur discovered |
| Titanosaurs (herbivorous dinosaurs). | | | | by fossil hunters Pablo Puerta and Santiago Reuil in |
| What Is The Largest Dinosaur Ever Found? | | | | Argentina's Santa Cruz Province. This dinosaur |
| At the moment there are three dinosaurs, which | | | | was 115-131 feet long and weighed an astonishing |
| are contenders for the largest dinosaur ever | | | | 88-110 tons. About 70 million years old, the neck, |
| found. Incredibly all three were found in the | | | | back and tailbones were found with large fossilized |
| Patagonian region sparking revelations that the | | | | logs, suggesting this region was a vast forest in |
| Titanosaurids roamed the earth for a lot longer | | | | prehistoric days. |
| than previously thought. | | | | Paleontologist Fernando Novas announced this |
| Titanosaurs are the largest recorded creatures to | | | | important find on July 21st 2006. |
| have ever walked the earth. | | | | Futalognkosaurus |
| Belonging to a branch of the Sauropod family | | | | An incredible discovery, Futalognkosaurus dukei, is |
| these giants were large, long-necked plant eaters | | | | the most complete Titanosaur skeleton ever |
| that walked on four feet and flourished in the | | | | found. Scientists believe this dinosaur is a |
| southern latitudes. They had relatively small heads | | | | completely new species of Titanosaur, its unique |
| compared to other Sauropods and their | | | | neck structure having never been seen before. |
| backbones were not hollowed out like the rest of | | | | This giant measures about 105 feet long with the |
| this family. Many paleontologists believe this | | | | neck stretching a whopping 56 feet. It lived some |
| species moved in herds and fossilized remains | | | | 88 million years ago, with the bones first |
| show an armored, scaled skin covering their | | | | unearthed in 2000 at Lake Barreales in Argentina. |
| bodies. All of the largest dinosaurs on record | | | | Comparisons |
| belong to this species. | | | | All three of these giants belong to the same |
| Before the relatively recent discoveries in South | | | | family and lived during the same time period. |
| America scientists had believed this species died | | | | Scientists are unable to determine which dinosaur |
| out before the mass extinction of their smaller | | | | may have been the biggest as bones discovered |
| counterparts. Now they have evidence that this | | | | from the creatures weren't all the same. For |
| large family group survived in Patagonia up until | | | | Puertasaurus only a few vertebrae were found |
| the end of the Cretaceous period. They were the | | | | and no limb bones were discovered at the |
| most widely distributed dinosaurs on the planet. | | | | Futalognkosaurus site. So unless further fossils are |
| Argentinosaurus | | | | unearthed they will never be able to measure |
| The first of the big three to be discovered, the | | | | with any degree of accuracy, which is the biggest |
| 115 feet long, 100 ton Argentinosaurus was a | | | | fossil of them all. |
| heavy hitter in the Cretaceous period about 85 | | | | When it comes to species, though, there is a clear |
| million years ago. An herbivorous animal it survived | | | | and definite answer as to who is the largest. The |
| on plants and used its extraordinarily long neck to | | | | Titanosaurs named after the mythological Greek |
| reach juicy foliage. | | | | Titans are number one. |