Biggest dinosaur ever discovered to be showcased in London

The dig site at Patagonian quarry where the fossilised bones of six young adult dinosaurs were found. They may belong to the biggest creature ever to have walked the Earth - the Patagotitan mayorum.

The biggest dinosaur ever discovered goes on show in London later this month, clocking in at a massive 57 tonnes and 37 metres long.

Flying this replica skeleton of the Patagotitan mayorum from Argentina to England required two airplanes and it is thought to be one of the largest creatures to have ever walked on Earth.

The dinosaur is thought to have been as long as an Airbus A320.

It has been estimated they were as long as an A320 airplane and heavier than nine African elephants. It is eleven metres longer than the Dippy the Diplodocus skeleton already on display at the Natural History Museum in London.

Scientists think its heart alone weighed 230kg and was over 1.8m in circumference, so large it could move around 90 litres of blood per beat every five seconds.

These giant herbivores were built like suspension bridges with a huge spine, a vast neck for gathering food from trees, and a tail to provide balance.

The Patagotitan mayorum is estimated to have been as long as an A320 airplane and heavier than nine African elephants.

However, despite this colossal size, the Patagotitans hatched from eggs that were only about 20cm in diameter. These eggs were smaller than a football meaning the baby dinosaurs were smaller than a human baby.

Patagotitan is a titanosaur, a type of sauropod, and lived in the Early Cretaceous period. Not all titanosaurs were particularly large, but Patagotitan was. Its hip bone (femur) alone was 2.38 metres long.

The Patagotitan lived 101 million years ago in what is now Argentina.

Thigh bone discovery

A ranch owner in Patagonia was the first to discover the dinosaur’s remains in 2010 on coming across a gigantic thigh bone sticking out of the ground.

During follow-up digs in 2012, 2013, and 2015, scientists found hundreds of fossil bones belonging to at least six dinosaurs. They had died and were buried at the site during three distinct floods. They dug up more than 200 pieces of skeleton altogether.

The skeleton which can be seen in London is a cast of these bones, made by the Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio in Trelew, Patagonia.

Visitors observe 'Dippy the Diplodocus' at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry.

Transport company IAG Cargo said the replica was stored in crates and transported in two British Airways B787-9 aircraft, alongside four crates of real fossils including a real femur bone measuring more than two metres long.

Director of public programmes at the museum Alex Burch said: “As one of the largest dinosaurs to ever roam the Earth, it is so important that we are able to showcase this cast to the public, connecting our visitors with nature and inspiring them to care for the large animals we share the planet with today.” 

The exhibition will also include illustrations of Cretaceous plants and animals. 

“Titanosaur: Life as the biggest dinosaur” opens on March 31 until January 7, 2024, at the Natural History Museum in London.