[ad_1]
Fossils of a new giant dinosaur species have been discovered in South Africa, according to a study released Thursday.
The creature, who lived 200 million years ago, was about twice as large as an elephant in modern Africa. According to the study, it was also the largest terrestrial animal living on the planet.
Known as Ledumahadi mafube, he weighed more than 26,000 pounds and was about 13 feet tall at the hips.
Although it is not the biggest dinosaur ever discovered, "This is the first true giant that evolves into a long line of dinosaurs called sauropod dinosaurs," said study co-author Jonah Choiniere, paleontologist at the University of the Witwatersrand, in a statement.
The sauropods, weighing up to 66 tons, include well-known species such as brontosaurus. So, this part of South Africa was at the origin of all the giant dinosaurs that evolved afterwards, said Choiniere.
The new dino is a close relative of other massive dinosaurs from Argentina who lived around the same time, reinforcing the idea that the supercontinent Pangea was still assembled at that time. "It shows how easily dinosaurs could travel from Johannesburg to Buenos Aires at that time," said Choiniere.
This animal was probably about 14 years old when he died.
The dinosaur calls Sesotho for "a giant thunderclap at dawn". Sesotho is one of the 11 official languages of South Africa.
The discovery of the dinosaur underscores the importance of South African paleontology to the world, according to South Africa's Minister of Science and Technology, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane.
"Not only does our country hold the cradle of humanity, but we also have fossils that help us understand the rise of gigantic dinosaurs," she said.
The study was published in the journal Current Biology.
Watch on YouTube: Ledumahadi Mafube – The New Jurassic Giant of South Africa
© 2018 USATODAY.COM
[ad_2]
Source link
