Argentinosaurus: Complete skeleton

Description

Argentinosaurus is one of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered. It was a titanosaurian sauropod, a long-necked, herbivorous quadrupedal dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous, around 94 to 97 million years ago, in South America, mainly Argentina (as its name suggests). Main characteristics: Estimated size: between 30 and 40 meters long Estimated weight: between 50 and 100 tons, equivalent to several African elephants. Diet: herbivorous, feeding on tall vegetation (tree leaves, ferns). Lifestyle: probably gregarious (lived in herds), like other sauropods. The femur, a load-bearing bone in the thigh, is around 2.5 meters long, making it one of the largest bones in the animal. The dorsal vertebrae, which make up the spinal column in the back region, were up to 1.5 metres high and over 1.6 metres wide with lateral bony extensions (transverse processes). These vertebrae were hollow inside (pneumatized), lightening the weight of the skeleton without compromising strength. The sacral vertebra, which connects the spine to the pelvis, was also massive, reaching a width of around 1 meter. The ribs, well preserved in some specimens, measured up to 3 meters in length for the largest. As for the forelimbs, the humerus (arm bone) is estimated at 1.6 to 2 meters, although few specimens have been found for this species.