The prehistoric world was a sight to behold. It had Patagotitan mayorum, the largest creature to have ever walked the earth. This happened between 100 million years ago. This titanic animal was a whopping 154,323 pounds in weight which was more than 10 times the mass of an African elephant while its length, which was 121 feet, was also longer than that of a blue whale.
Being a sauropod, one of the three subgroups of dinosaurs, with its elongated neck and tail, Patagotitan mayorum left a huge mark with its four stocky legs that looked like sturdy pillars. The discovery of the creature in Patagonia, southern Argentina, in 2017 was a watershed moment in paleontological history, revealing an animal that for millions of years ruled the land as the largest known land animal.
The Patagonia region was previously inhabited by the Argentinosaurus, a gigantic dinosaur that was considered the largest land animals. Nonetheless, Patagotitan mayorum’s enormous size and great height surpassed all its predecessors, thus becoming a legendary symbol of the Earth’s ancient giants.
Although Patagotitan mayorum was gigantic, their mass was relatively low and they were leaner than their counterparts, which gives a glimpse of how complex and diversified life was in those prehistoric times. As decades go by and scientists are able to solve the mysteries of the Earth’s ancestral inhabitants, the legacy of Patagotitan mayorum stands as a reflection of the wonder and grandness of our planet’s history.
