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Heaviest Dino?
STOCKTREK IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES
LARGE LIZARD: Scientists believe that Patagotitan was longer than a blue whale and heavier than 12 African elephants. The average adult human would barely reach above its knees!
Until recently, a dinosaur named Patagotitan was thought to have been the largest known animal to ever walk Earth. But new research suggests that another dino, the Argentinosaurus, might have been even bigger. Both dinosaurs were sauropods—giant plant eaters with long necks. Extra-large sauropods are known as titanosaurs.
So far, scientists have found more fossil bones for Patagotitan than for Argentinosaurus—but they have not discovered a complete skeleton for either. This makes it difficult to estimate their true sizes. Gregory Paul, a paleontologist in Maryland, decided to calculate how much each might have weighed using measurements of their bones. He estimates that Patagotitan weighed 50 to 55 tons, while Argentinosaurus tipped the scales at 65 to 75 tons.
Argentinosaurus may have been the largest land animal to ever live. Here’s how it measures up to other creatures known for their gigantic size. About how many times heavier is Argentinosaurus than a T. rex?
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM