Dreadnoughtus

Dreadnoughtus is an immense titanosaurian sauropod that inhabited the southern tip of South America during the Late Cretaceous, about 75 million years ago. Named after the heavily armed early twentieth-century battleships because of its almost impervious size, this herbivore grew to roughly 26 metres in length. What makes Dreadnoughtus exceptional among giant titanosaurs is its skeletal completeness; researchers recovered over seventy percent of the bones behind the skull, including almost all limb bones, vertebrae, and the pelvic girdle. Bone histology confirmed that the type specimen was not yet fully grown at death, meaning fully mature adults may have been even larger. It plodded through coastal forests, consuming vast amounts of leaves to fuel its enormous body.

The holotype specimen preserves over 70 percent of the postcranial skeleton, making it one of the most complete gigantic titanosaurs known.

Where and when

Dreadnoughtus lived in the Late Cretaceous, from 77 to 70 million years ago (Campanian age). Its remains come from Argentina, in the Cerro Fortaleza Formation.

The numbers

Length 25 m (estimates run from 24 to 26 m). Mass about 35 t. Hip height about 5.5 m. That is 14.7 human-lengths, or 2.23 of a double-decker bus. These are estimates from partial skeleton; fields marked estimated by the site are length, mass, hip height.

Compare Dreadnoughtus with a bus Place on the timeline