Researchers discover enormous 65-ton, 85-foot-long 'Dreadnoughtus' dinosaur

Researchers discover enormous 65-ton, 85-foot-long 'Dreadnoughtus' dinosaur
(Image credit: Screenshot/The Washington Post)

Meet Dreadnoughtus, a newly-discovered dinosaur so massive its name translates to "fears nothing."

At 85 feet long, 30 feet tall, and a staggering 65 tons, the dinosaur is one of the largest land animals ever to have lived. For comparison's sake, T. Rex weighed about eight tons; an empty Boeing 737 weighs a comparatively light 50 tons.

(PhyloPic/Lacovara et. al/Boeing/Campione/Evans/Benson et. al, via The Washington Post)

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Discovered in 2005 in the Patagonia region of Argentina, and announced Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports, the fossil is the most complete specimen of a titanosaur yet. The dino was so huge researchers say it may have had to eat on a near-constant basis to maintain its size. And given its enormous tail and clawed feet, it probably wouldn't have had any trouble thwarting foolish would-be predators, according to Drexel University professor and lead author Kenneth Lacovara.

"I can't imagine that it was a good idea to attack a full-grown, healthy Dreadnoughtus," he told Discovery News.

That sounds like sage advice, even if it spoils my time-traveling plans for the weekend.

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.