The largest dinosaur foot ever recorded comes from Brachiosaurus, reveal paleontologists

Measuring almost a meter wide, the largest dinosaur foot ever recorded comes from a brachiosaur, palaeontologists revealed.

One of the greatest creatures to ever have walked on earth, The 150 million year old fossil was discovered in Wyoming, in 1998.

But a new study has confirmed that the l? Species – a type of sauropod –

"These things were just huge," said David Burnham, paleontologist at the Biodiversity of the University of Kansas. Institute and Museum of Natural History Lawrence, and co-author of the study published in the journal Peer J .

The team, which nicknamed the Bigfoot dinosaur, believes that the creature may have been about 30 feet long, about the length of a blue whale.

They used 3D scanning and detailed measurements of dinosaur species – allowing them to confirm for the first time the fossil is the largest ever found.

"There are traces and other incomplete skeletons of Australia and Argentina that seem to come from even larger animals, but these gigantic skeletons have been found without the feet ", said co-author of the study, Dr. Emanuel Tschopp, of The Paleontology Division of the American Museum of Natural History

" This beast was clearly one of the largest that ever market in North America. "

It was previously thought that the species had not lived as far north, but the study indicates that the animals inhabited a vast area of ​​Utah northwest of the Wyoming.

Dr. Tschopp added:. Many other sauropod dinosaurs appear to have inhabited smaller areas during this period. "

The 1998 excavations were carried out by an expedition team including Anthony Maltese, the principal author of the new study.

Recalling the excavations 20 years ago he said: "It was immediately apparent that the foot, almost a meter wide"

He added that the rock outcroppings that produced the fossil – the Wyoming Black Hills region famous for being home to Mount Rushmore – are probably the most promising … preserved dinosaur skeletons, and the team continues to study fossils in the area. [19659096] SWNS contributed to this article