Giganotosaurus

dinosaur · Cretaceous · carnivore · Argentina

Truly giant lizard. Giganotosaurus means 'giant southern lizard' in Latin, and it lived up to its name as one of the biggest meat-eating dinosaurs that ever walked Earth. This massive theropod hunted in what is now Argentina during the Early Cretaceous period, roughly 111 to 106 million years ago.

Nearly complete skeleton. The most famous Giganotosaurus skeleton was discovered in 1993 in Argentina's Patagonia region and is almost 70% complete, giving scientists amazing detail about how this dinosaur was built. This fossil became the reference specimen that scientists use to understand everything about the species.

Size comparison superstar. Giganotosaurus sparked big scientific debates about which theropod dinosaurs were actually the largest ever, since it rivals or may even exceed the size of the famous Tyrannosaurus rex. Scientists continue to study its bones and fossils to answer the question of what the absolute size limit was for these incredible predators.

Tracks tell stories. Before the main skeleton was found, paleontologists had already discovered teeth, jaw bones, and footprints that belonged to Giganotosaurus, which helped them understand more about the creature. These early clues were officially connected to the species after the 1993 discovery confirmed what they had found.

Named after the finder. The full scientific name is Giganotosaurus carolinii, where 'carolinii' honors Ruben Carolini, the person who discovered the holotype specimen. It's a special way that scientists recognize the hard work of paleontologists who make these incredible discoveries.