Giant Dinosaur Bones was 200 Million Years Old Found on Balde de Leyes

The remains of a 200-million-year-old giant dinosaur were found on the site of Balde de Leyes, San Juan, Argentina. Triassic dinosaur species is thought to be the largest of its time.

The researchers say the size of the dinosaurs belonging to Ingenia prime species is three times larger than that of Triassic dinosaurs.

“Once we found it, we realized there was something different, we found the first, bigger form of all the dinosaurs, which was a surprise,” said Cecilia Apaldetti, a researcher at San Juan University.

Apaldetti and other research teams found a number of spinal remains ranging from the neck to the tail and the bones of the front and rear legs.

The findings, published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, show that this species is evidence that gigantism originated much earlier than expected.

Long before, the research team estimated gigantism to grow about 180 million years ago.

Based on the structure of the bones found, the team of researchers estimated this dinosaur into the category of herbivores.

“It is easily recognizable from its very long tail and neck, these dinosaurs fall into the category of herbivore and sauropods,” Apaldetti added.

Ricardo Martines, the researcher involved revealed that Ingenia Prima came from the End of Triassic period, about 205 million years ago. The research team studied the Triassic period that began when new dinosaurs began to emerge.

First small, still later evolved toward gigantism to defend themselves against predators.

Scientists believe Ingenia prima is the first dinosaur species to reach gigantism – although it weighs over 70 tons which are then eaten by the largest sauropods at the end of the Cretaceous period (about 145-66 million years ago). The accumulated velocity of bone tissue tends to be larger than other species of its era.

The dinosaur bone fragments show cyclical and seasonal growth, seen from different tissue types with other sauropods that make it grow very quickly.

AFP reported this species is believed to grow to reach eight to 10 meters. One characteristic is the air cavity in the bone that makes it lighter to facilitate growth.