The Patagotitan was a long-necked, plant-eating dinosaur that lived about 95 to 102 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period. It was one of the largest animals ever to roam the earth and is believed to have weighed about 70 tons.
Key Facts
| Domain | Description |
|---|---|
| Patagotitan pronunciation | PAT-a-go-TIE-tuhn |
| What does Patagotitan mean? | Titan from Patagonia |
| Dinosaur type | Sauropod |
| On the menu | Herbivorous |
| Length | 36 meters (118 feet) |
| Height | 6 meters (20 feet) |
| Weight | 45 tons (about 90,000 lbs) |
| Life expectancy | Unknown |
| Legs used to get around | Quadruped |
| Estimated top speed | Unknown |
| When they lived | Late cretaceous era 102-95 million years ago |
| Where they have been found? | Argentina |
When & Where
The first remains of the Patagotitan were discovered in 2008 by Aurelio Hernandez, a farm worker in a desert near La Flecha in Patagonia, Argentina. Following this, a team of researchers led by Jose Luis Carballido and Diego Pol excavated the site and uncovered an additional six skeletons. They all belonged to the same Patagotitan species, making it one of the most widely studied members of the titanosauria.
Size & Weight
Like its close relatives, the Diplodocus and the Brachiosaurus, the Patagotitan was an extremely large dinosaur. In fact, it is one of the largest dinosaurs known to have ever existed, with an estimated length of 36 meters (118 feet) and a weight of around 70 tons. To put that into perspective, the Patagotitan was as long as a basketball court and weighed as much as 10 African elephants.
Mobility & Diet
Though it is not certain how fast it could move, the Patagotitan is thought to have been a very slow and ponderous dinosaur. This is unlike its smaller Sauropod cousins and partly due to its size. The hundreds of teeth found at the dig site indicate that the Patagotitan was a herbivore. Its diet would have consisted of plants, leaves, and twigs, which it stripped from trees using its large teeth and long neck.
Interesting Points
- The Patagotitan lived in the Late Cretaceous period, around 100 million years ago.
- Their bones were hollow, which helped to make them lighter and save energy when they were moving around.
- The Patagotitan had a long tail, which it used to help balance its body, and a small head compared to the rest of its body.
- Like other Sauropods, Patagotitans had long necks and tails that they used to reach high vegetation.