Britannica AI Icon

Quick Summary

Patagotitan mayorum was a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur that lived approximately 100 to 95 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period. It is considered one of the largest terrestrial animals known, with estimates suggesting a weight of about 70 metric tons (77 tons) and a length of 37.2 meters (122 feet).1

Titanosaurs, a subgroup of sauropods, were herbivorous quadrupeds characterized by long necks and tails. They are known from fossils found on every continent except Antarctica. While some titanosaurs, like Patagotitan, relied on sheer size for defense, others, such as Saltasaurus, possessed bony armored plates called osteoderms. The discovery of Patagotitan fossils, including a femur measuring 2.4 meters (8 feet), led to it being informally known as "the Titanosaur" before its formal naming.21

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.