Giganotosaurus

What it was like

Giganotosaurus was one of the largest meat-eating dinosaurs known, with a long, low skull and rows of blade-like, serrated teeth. It grew to roughly 12.5 meters (41 feet) long, one of the longest meat-eating dinosaurs known.

Its size rivaled Tyrannosaurus, though scientists disagree over which animal was actually bigger, since only a few incomplete skeletons of Giganotosaurus have been found. It was likely fast for its size and probably delivered quick, powerful bites rather than a single crushing one.

Its world

Giganotosaurus lived in the Early Cretaceous, from about 113 to 106 million years ago, in what is now Argentina. Its bones come from the Candeleros Formation, in the same habitat as the giant plant eater Argentinosaurus and fellow predators like Mapusaurus. It was probably the apex predator of this landscape, able to threaten even the largest plant eaters around it.

How it was found

Coria and Salgado named Giganotosaurus in 1995. Only about 4 fossil finds of the genus are known, making it a rare animal in the fossil record even though it is one of the most talked-about predators of its size. Each new bone adds useful detail to a picture that is still far from complete.