Interesting Facts About the Largest Dinosaurs

The largest dinosaurs were huge and slowly moved about the land millions of years ago. The biggest species came from the late Jurassic and the Cretaceous period. They were called sauropods, which meant that they ate plants in a cow-like manner. They had small heads and long necks that made it easy to reach vegetation. Despite their size, it is interesting to note that the blue whale was larger than any of the biggest dinosaurs ever discovered were.

1. The largest dinosaurs had a long neck that was kept on balance by the size of its massive tail.

2. Argentinosaurus huinculensis is estimated to have measured between 130 to 140 feet long. It was a huge species of dinosaur that possessed a long neck and tail. As the name suggests, the fossils of this plant eater were found in Argentina, South America and were dated as living during the Cretaceous period. The dinosaur, whose name translates into ‘Argentina Lizard,’ was named by paleontologists Coria and Jose Bonaparte in 1993.  Some people believe that this species was the largest dinosaur, as they investigated fossilized back vertebrae, tibia, ribs and sacrum.

3. Living during the middle Cretaceous period, the Paralititan (which translates into ‘tidal Titan’), was a large titanosaurid sauropod that dates back 100 million years ago. Considered the second largest dinosaur in the world, this plant eater had a long neck and small head. The species also had a bulky body with a long tail. Measuring between 78 and 100 feet long, the dinosaur typically weighed around 70 tons. The dinosaur’s fossils were uncovered in Egypt, which in the past, was a coast decorated with lush characteristics at the time.

4. It’s no wonder that the dinosaur named Seismosaurus hallorum translates into ‘Earth-shaking lizard.’ Measuring more than 120 feet long, the Seismosaurus weighed between 30 to 80 tons. It was classified as a diplodocid dinosaur, which was also considered one of the longest dinosaur species in history. The Seismosaurus lived during the late Jurassic period, which was around 156 million to 145 million years ago. Characteristics of the dinosaur include a long neck, whip-like tail, and gizzard stones that allowed it to digest food in its stomach. Fossils of the Seismosaurus have been uncovered in New Mexico.

5. The Supersaurus possessed a long neck and whip-like tail, which contributed to its 138-foot long and 54-foot tall body. While it was not the heaviest of dinosaurs, it did weigh 55 tons. With front legs shorter then the hind legs, the dinosaur had the same attributes as an elephant , feet with five toes. One of the toes on each foot had a thumb claw, which scientists believe was for protection. Its tail may have also served as a form of protection.

Traveling in herds, the Supersaurus is believed to have migrated when the local food supply got too low to support their members. Researchers have assessed that this species of dinosaur hatched from eggs, but they do believe the creatures stayed to take care of the eggs. The life span of the Supersaurus is thought to have lasted 100 years.