Dino card No. 0695 of 2,027

Gargantuavis

Say it: gar-GAN-too-AY-vis

Name means: “gargantuan bird”1

Ate: MeatEarly birdsLate Cretaceous

Gargantuavis was a giant bird that lived during the time of the dinosaurs. It was as big as an ostrich and weighed as much as a large person. It could not fly, but it walked on strong legs.1

Lived

84 to 66 million years ago2

Late Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Southern France, northern Spain, and Romania1

Food

Meat1 2

Weight

141 kg1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 5 big dogs

as heavy as 28 watermelons

How big was Gargantuavis compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

cool stuff

Fun facts

Gargantuavis is the largest known bird from the Mesozoic Era, the time of the dinosaurs.1

Its fossils were first found in 1995 near a vineyard in France, so scientists named it philoinos, which means 'one who likes wine'.1

Gargantuavis lived on islands in Europe when the sea level was higher.1

It had a long, slender neck and probably did not have a big head.1

Gargantuavis grew quickly when young, then took at least 10 years to become fully grown.1

It lived alongside meat-eating dinosaurs like abelisaurids and dromaeosaurids.1

AI-made picture of Gargantuavis — An AI-made picture of how Gargantuavis might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Gargantuavis

?Was Gargantuavis a dinosaur?

Yes, Gargantuavis was a bird, and birds are a type of dinosaur called avialan dinosaurs. So it was a dinosaur.1

?How big was Gargantuavis?

Gargantuavis was about the size of a cassowary to an ostrich, and weighed up to 141 kg (311 lb), as heavy as a large adult.1

?Could Gargantuavis fly?

No, Gargantuavis could not fly. Its legs were strong for walking, but it was not built for running fast.1

?What did Gargantuavis eat?

Nobody knows for sure because no skull bones have been found. Scientists are still studying its diet.1

?When did Gargantuavis live?

Gargantuavis lived about 73.5 to 71.5 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period.1

?Where was Gargantuavis found?

Its fossils were found in France, Spain, and Romania. The first one was discovered in 1995 near a vineyard in France.1

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For dino experts

Scientific name: Gargantuavis
Named by: Buffetaut and Le Loeuff 19982
Group: Early birds
Family / clade: Gargantuaviidae2
Classification: Theropoda > Avialae2
Age of the rocks: 84 to 66 million years (Campanian / Maastrichtian)2
Rock formations: Marnes Rouges Inférieures, Grès à Reptiles, Vitoria2
Countries: France, Spain2
Fossil records: 4 in the Paleobiology Database2
Discovery: The first Gargantuavis fossil was found in 1995 in Var, southeastern France. It was named by Eric Buffetaut and Jean Le Loeuff in 1998.1
Still debated: Scientists are not sure what Gargantuavis ate because no skull has been found.1

Where the facts come from

Gargantuavis (en.wikipedia.org)
Gargantuavis in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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