Ledumahadi

Ledumahadi walked on four legs, but its arms were not straight like later giant sauropods. Its elbows were slightly bent.2

This dinosaur was about 14 years old when it died, and scientists know this from looking at the growth rings in its bones.2

Ledumahadi lived right after the big extinction at the end of the Triassic Period, about 200 million years ago.2

Its name means 'giant thunderclap' in the Sesotho language of southern Africa.1

Ledumahadi is not a true sauropod, but a close relative called a sauropodomorph. It shows that giant size evolved in this group before the true sauropods appeared.2

The only known fossil of Ledumahadi includes parts of its backbone, arm bones, and a toe claw.2