What makes Patagotitan scientifically significant?

Patagotitan provides critical insights into the evolutionary radiation of Sauropodomorpha. Holotypes and fossil evidence indicate: Over 150 well-preserved bones representing six individuals, including a giant 2.4-meter femur.

Patagotitan (Patagotitan mayorum Carballido et al., 2017) - Size, Diet & Cretaceous Period Facts

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Patagotitan (Patagotitan mayorum Carballido et al., 2017) - Size, Diet & Cretaceous Period Facts | DinoOrigin

Evolutionary Taxonomy & Cladistics

View Dinosaur Phylogeny

Phylogenetic classification of Patagotitan mayorum Carballido et al., 2017 based on peer-reviewed cladistic analyses of diagnostic skeletal synapomorphies.

Taxonomic Rank	Taxon / Clade	Diagnostic Context
Kingdom	Animalia	Monophyletic prehistoric clade
Phylum	Chordata	Monophyletic prehistoric clade
Clade	Dinosauria	Monophyletic prehistoric clade
Order	Saurischia (Lizard-Hipped Dinosaurs)	Characterized ancestrally by a triradiate pelvis with an anteriorly pointing pubis.
Suborder	Sauropodomorpha	Herbivorous saurischians characterized by elongated necks, columnar limbs, and enormous body volumes.
Genus	Patagotitan	Monophyletic prehistoric clade
Species	Patagotitan mayorum Carballido et al., 2017	Specific authority designation

Anatomy & Physical Characteristics

Patagotitan mayorum was a stupendous titanosaur sauropod discovered in Chubut Province, Argentina in 2012. Measuring approximately 37 meters (121 feet) in total length and weighing roughly 57 metric tons, it represents one of the largest terrestrial animals in Earth's history.

Excavations yielded at least six young adult skeletons from a single quarry, showing that these gentle giants inhabited coastal floodplain forests and traveled together in cohorts.

Diagnostic Morphological Traits

Unimaginably massive sauropod with a 2.4-meter femur, column-like legs, broad chest, and colossal neck and tail.

Comparative Scale & Biometrics

Anatomical dimensions relative to an average adult human (1.8 m / 6 ft tall)

Approx. 20.8× human length

Patagotitan (Length)35–37.5 m (114.8–123.0 ft)

Adult Human1.8 m (6.0 ft)

Length

35–37.5 m (114.8–123.0 ft)

Height

6–7.5 m (19.7–24.6 ft)

Estimated Mass

50.0–65.0 metric tons (110,231–143,300 lbs)

Diet & Feeding Ecology

All Herbivore Species

Trophic Guild: Herbivore

Gymnosperms, tree ferns, and early flowering plants stripped in vast quantities with cylindrical teeth.

Paleobiology & Behavior

Colossal titanosaur sauropod ranking among the largest terrestrial animals to ever walk the Earth. Discovered in the Cerro Barcino Formation of Argentina, Patagotitan is ecologically and anatomically comparable to other giant South American titanosaurs such as Argentinosaurus and Dreadnoughtus.

Habitat & Ecological Biome

Prehistoric Depositional Setting

Lush tropical floodplains, meander river belts, and forested basins of western Gondwana.

Fossil Evidence & Specimen Records

Preserved Skeletal Material & Bonebeds

Over 150 well-preserved bones representing six individuals, including a giant 2.4-meter femur.

Discovery & Taxonomic Naming History

Year of Discovery / Description2012

Type Specimen Locality & FormationCerro Barcino Formation, Chubut Province, Argentina

Discovered by farm worker Aurelio Hernández; excavated by José Luis Carballido and Diego Pol.

Geological Era & Chronostratigraphy

Explore All Cretaceous Period Fauna

Cretaceous Period PeriodTemporal Interval: 102–100 Ma (million years ago)

The longest and final period of the Mesozoic Era, characterized by the rise of flowering plants, ceratopsians, hadrosaurs, tyrannosaurids, and concluding with the Chicxulub asteroid impact.

Where It Lived & Paleoenvironment

South America Dinosaurs

During the Mesozoic Era, continental drift progressively reconfigured land bridges, atmospheric currents, and regional precipitation regimes. Fossils of Patagotitan evidence its adaptation to the paleoenvironments of South America.

Paleogeographic RealmSouth America (South America)

Preserved within the Huincul, Candeleros, and Ischigualasto formations, hosting colossal titanosaurs and specialized abelisaurid and carcharodontosaurid apex predators.

Fossil Discovery Locality

Scientific Significance & Evolutionary Impact

The anatomical architecture of Patagotitan serves as a crucial benchmark in vertebrate paleontology, illustrating key adaptive radiations within Sauropodomorpha.

Phylogenetic Placement: Informs cladistic debates concerning the divergence, skull biomechanics, and skeletal evolution of Cretaceous Period fauna.
Paleoecological Guild: Documents trophic specialization (Herbivore) and predator-prey dynamics across its regional ecosystem.
Taphonomic Record: Over 150 well-preserved bones representing six individuals, including a giant 2.4-meter femur.

Frequently Asked Questions About Patagotitan

Scientifically verified answers based on peer-reviewed paleontological evidence.

Q1.When did Patagotitan live?

Patagotitan lived during the Cretaceous Period Period, approximately 102–100 Ma (million years ago). This places it within the Mesozoic Era.

Q2.How big was Patagotitan?

Paleontological estimates place Patagotitan at a length of 35–37.5 m (114.8–123.0 ft), a hip/standing height of 6–7.5 m (19.7–24.6 ft), and a body mass of 50.0–65.0 metric tons (110,231–143,300 lbs).

Q3.What was the diet of Patagotitan?

Classified as a herbivore, Patagotitan specialized in consuming Gymnosperms, tree ferns, and early flowering plants stripped in vast quantities with cylindrical teeth..

Q4.Where were Patagotitan fossils discovered?

Fossil specimens of Patagotitan have been recovered from Cerro Barcino Formation, Chubut Province, Argentina, with notable historic specimens documented in 2012. Discovered by farm worker Aurelio Hernández; excavated by José Luis Carballido and Diego Pol.

Academic Literature & Peer-Reviewed References

Authoritative citations establishing the factual taxonomy, biometrics, and anatomy of Patagotitan.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological SciencesView Publication
Carballido, J. L., Pol, D., Otero, A., et al. (2017). A new giant titanosaur sheds light on body mass evolution among sauropod dinosaurs. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 284(1860), 20171219. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.1219
Curated & Verified: 2026-09-24

Patagotitan

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