Ledumahadi

Ledumahadi was a colossal herbivore from the Early Jurassic of Free State, South Africa, recovered from the Upper Elliot Formation. Its genus name translates to 'a giant thunderclap' in Sesotho, honouring its heritage and imposing physical dimensions. Dating to roughly 198 million years ago, Ledumahadi attained lengths of up to twelve metres and weighed an estimated twelve tonnes, doubling the weight of a modern African elephant. Its limbs were thick and columnar, though its forelimbs retained flexed postures unlike the pillar-like front legs of later sauropods. As a member of Lessemsauridae, Ledumahadi shows that dynamic experiments in multi-tonne gigantism took place outside the core sauropod lineage very early in the Jurassic.

At roughly twelve tonnes, it was by far the largest terrestrial animal of its epoch.

Where and when

Ledumahadi lived in the Early Jurassic, from 200 to 195 million years ago (Hettangian-Sinemurian age). Its remains come from South Africa, in the Elliot Formation.

The numbers

Length 11 m (estimates run from 10 to 12 m). Mass about 11 t. Hip height about 3.5 m. That is 6.5 human-lengths, or 0.98 of a double-decker bus. These are estimates from partial skeleton; fields marked estimated by the site are length, mass, hip height.

Compare Ledumahadi with a bus Place on the timeline