Dino card No. 1396 of 2,027

Patagotitan

Say it: PAT-ah-go-TIE-tan

Name means: “Patagonian titan”1

Ate: PlantsLong-necksEarly Cretaceous

Patagotitan was one of the biggest land animals ever to walk the Earth. This gentle giant had a super long neck and tail, and it munched on plants all day long.1

Lived

113 to 100 million years ago4

Early Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Chubut Province, Argentina2 1

Food

Plants4

Length

31 to 37 m1

estimates vary; early studies suggested 37 m, later research revised down to about 31 m

Weight

50 tonnes to 60 tonnes1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

as long as 8 cars parked in a rowas long as 210 bananas end to endas heavy as 10 elephantsas heavy as 12000 watermelons

How big was Patagotitan compared to YOU?

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cool stuff

Fun facts

Patagotitan is known from at least six young adult individuals found together, which scientists think is the first evidence of social behavior among giant titanosaurs.2

The fossils were found in three different layers of rock, meaning the animals died in the same place at different times, like elephants returning to a waterhole.2

Patagotitan lived about 101 to 110 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous Period.1

Its thigh bone (femur) alone was over 2 meters (6.6 feet) long, taller than most people.1

Patagotitan was named in 2017, but the first fossils were discovered in 2014 on a ranch in Patagonia.1

The species name 'mayorum' honors the Mayo family, who owned the ranch where the fossils were found.2

AI-made picture of Patagotitan — An AI-made picture of how Patagotitan 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 Patagotitan

?How big was Patagotitan?

Patagotitan was about 31 metres long and weighed around 50 to 60 tonnes. That is as long as a blue whale and heavier than ten elephants.1 3

?Was Patagotitan bigger than T. rex?

Yes, Patagotitan was much bigger than T. rex. It was about 31 metres long and weighed 50 to 60 tonnes, while T. rex was only about 12 metres long and weighed around 8 tonnes.1 3

?What did Patagotitan eat?

Patagotitan was an herbivore that ate tough plant material like leaves and branches. It used its teeth to strip vegetation from trees.3

?When did Patagotitan live?

Patagotitan lived about 101 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous Period.1 3

?Where was Patagotitan found?

Patagotitan fossils were found in Patagonia, Argentina, at a ranch called La Flecha. The first bone was discovered in 2010 by a ranch worker.1 3

?How fast could Patagotitan run?

Scientists don't know exactly how fast Patagotitan could run, but as a huge, four-legged sauropod it probably moved slowly, maybe at a walking pace of a few kilometres per hour.1

?Did Patagotitan have feathers?

No, Patagotitan did not have feathers. It was a sauropod dinosaur, and sauropods are not known to have had feathers.1

?Is Patagotitan a dinosaur?

Yes, Patagotitan is a dinosaur. It is a type of sauropod called a titanosaur.1 3

?How many Patagotitan fossils were found?

Scientists found over 200 fossils from at least six young adult Patagotitan individuals at the same quarry in Argentina.1 2

?Why is it called Patagotitan?

The name Patagotitan combines 'Patagonia' (where it was found) with 'Titan' (a giant Greek god), meaning 'giant from Patagonia'. The species name 'mayorum' honors the Mayo family who owned the ranch.1 3

Ask Rex about Patagotitan

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Myth buster

Myth: Patagotitan was the largest dinosaur that ever lived.

Truth: Scientists now think Patagotitan was about the same size as Argentinosaurus and Puertasaurus, and possibly smaller than some other giant sauropods.1

For dino experts

Scientific name: Patagotitan
Named by: Carballido et al. 20174
Group: Long-necks
Family / clade: Eutitanosauria4
Classification: Sauropodomorpha > Sauropoda > Titanosauria > Macronaria4
Age of the rocks: 113 to 100 million years (Albian)4
Rock formations: Cerro Barcino4
Countries: Argentina4
Fossil records: 1 in the Paleobiology Database4
Discovery: Patagotitan was first announced in 2014 and officially named in 2017 by paleontologist José Carballido and his team. The fossils were found at the La Flecha ranch in Chubut Province, Argentina.1 2
Still debated: Scientists are still debating exactly how big Patagotitan was, with early estimates of 37 meters and 69 tonnes later revised down to about 31 meters and 50 to 60 tonnes.1

Where the facts come from

Patagotitan (en.wikipedia.org)
A new giant titanosaur sheds light on body mass evolution among sauropod dinosaurs (royalsocietypublishing.org)
Patagotitan | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
Patagotitan 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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