Fossil of earliest-known giant dinosaur uncovered in Argentina

Scientists in Argentina say they discovered a fossil linked to what they believe is the world’s first giant dinosaur.

The new dinosaur species, dubbed Ingentia prima, is believed to have appeared on Earth 30 million years earlier than the first giant dinosaurs called sauropods, according to researchers at Argentina’s Universidad Nacional de San Juan.

The findings were published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution.

The late Triassic period roughly 210 million years ago was a critical time for the evolution of dinosaurs, researchers said.

Sauropods, which include dinosaurs like the brachiosaurus, underwent several significant changes, gaining longer necks, four thick legs and smaller heads, with some weighing as much as 70 tons.

Scientists believe Ingentia prima was an herbivore weighing about 10 tons. The term Ingentia is Latin for “huge,” and prima is “first.”