New 40-foot dinosaur species discovered in Argentina

Paleontologists have discovered the remains of a new dinosaur species in the central province of Neuquén, Argentina, a region that was once an arid desert.

The bones, which date back about 110 million years, actually belong to three separate animals – an adult measuring about 2 meters long and two dinosaur children entering less than half of that number , reported AFP.

The team led by researchers from the National University of La Matanza in Buenos Aires christened the new species Lavocatisaurus agrioensis . It belongs to the group of sauropods of herbivorous dinosaurs – a varied collection of animals characterized by very long necks, long tails, relatively small heads and four thick legs, similar to pillars.

Many sauropods have grown to enormous size and, in fact, the group contains the largest animals ever seen on earth, such as Supersaurus, which could reach over 110 feet in length and Argentinosaurus, which might have weighed up to 39 to 110 tons. Other notable members of the group include Diplodocus and Brontosaurus.

The researchers found most of the bones of the skull, which allowed them to create an almost complete reconstruction, according to an article published in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica . ] which describes the discovery. Sections of the neck, tail and back were also found.