Paleontologists have discovered a new species of giant reptile in Australia. The dinosaur was thought to be herbivorous species considering its long neck. It also had wide hips and four legs. This massive reptile was as big as half the length of a basketball court. The fossils which were revealed in Australia appeared to be very rare. The discovery could help experts establish how these giant dinosaurs managed to perpetuate its species.
- Paleontologists have just published a study which reveals a new species of dinosaur.
- The new sauropod species was discovered in 2005.
David Elliott, who is now the chairman of the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum, has revealed the fossils back in 2005. He was in a vast field in the North of Winton when he unveiled these fossilized bones. With the help of his wife, David realized that the massive bones represented the structure of a herbivorous dinosaur from millions of years ago. The rest of the fossils were analyzed, and it was established that this was in the past a sauropod, a new species of giant plant-eating reptile.
After ten years in which a very talented team of paleontologists has analyzed and tested the fossils, Stephen Poropat, the one who lead the study, has finally managed to publish their study in the Scientific Reports magazine. The team named the giant reptile Savannasaurus elliottorum, considering the name of those who discovered it, the Elliotts, but also the area in which they have found it. Matthew Lamanna, who is a curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, argued that the previous discoveries which were made in this field had only revealed small fossils, but this new herbivorous species has been a pleasant surprise for paleontologists.
The skeleton of this herbivorous giant reptile proved to be a complete one discovered in Australia. This massive dinosaur was estimated to be fifty feet long, having a weight of approximately 40,000 pounds. His weight was the sum of three African elephants. Scientists haven’t been able to find any teeth that would have helped to determine what this sauropod ate. Though, the size of his neck suggested that it was able to reach higher branches of most trees, allowing it to feed on their leaves. This could be the reason why the giant reptile has a wide body, being provided with a long gut to process food and extract all the necessary nutrients.
This dinosaur lived in Australia approximately 95 million years ago. This species was a representative one for the Cretaceous, the last period of the dinosaur’s age.
Image source: wikipedia
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