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Giganotosaurus

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giganotosaurus

Giganotosaurus (Ezequiel Vera)

Name:

Giganotosaurus (Greek for "giant southern lizard"); pronounced GEE-gah-NOTE-oh-SORE-us

Habitat:

Swamps of South America

Historical Period:

Middle Cretaceous (110-90 million years ago)

Size and Weight:

About 40 feet long and 8 tons

Diet:

Meat

Distinguishing Characteristics:

Huge skull with sharp teeth; three-fingered hands with claws

About Giganotosaurus:

One of the most frequently misspelled of all dinosaurs, Giganotosaurus is often called "Gigantosaurus"--which may be appropriate, but still isn't quite kosher. In any case, this South American theropod was truly gigantic, slightly outweighing even Tyrannosaurus Rex (but still not approaching the size of the biggest theropod of them all, Spinosaurus). Giganotosaurus also appears to have had a more formidable arsenal at its disposal, including bigger arms with three clawed fingers on each hand. (See 10 Facts About Giganotosaurus and a gallery of Giganotosaurus pictures.)

A big carnivore requires big meals--which is why it's intriguing that paleontologists have unearthed the remains of a massive Argentinosaurus (a slow-witted sauropod) near those of Giganotosaurus. While it's unlikely that a lone Giganotosaurus could have taken down a full-grown giant like Argentinosaurus, this could be a hint that--just maybe--Giganotosaurus hunted large, slow-witted prey in nimble packs. (See this article for an analysis of who would win a battle between Giganotosaurus and Argentinosaurus.)

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