New Species of Gigantic Dinosaur Unearthed

Scientists have unearthed the skeleton of a massive dinosaur from southern Patagonia in Argentina.

The skeleton of the new species named Dreadnoughtus schrani is remarkably complete with about 70 percent of its bones intact, reports Khaleej Times.

Scientists are of the opinion that the Dinosaurs lived 77 million years ago. It had a length of 85 feet and weighed 65 tons.

"It weighed as much as a dozen African elephants or more than seven T rex. Shockingly, skeletal evidence shows that when this 65-ton specimen died, it was not yet fully grown," said Kenneth Lacovara, an associate professor in Philadelphia-based Drexel University's college of arts and sciences, reports Khaleej Times.

Researchers have identified around 100 pieces of the dinosaur's skeleton. Tooth, toes, one of the claws and most of the vertebrae from the dinosaur's tail were identified by the scientists.

The plant eating dinosaur belongs to the group called Titanosaurs.

"Titanosaurs are a remarkable group of dinosaurs, with species ranging from the weight of a cow to the weight of a sperm whale or more," Matthew Lamanna of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, one of the researchers involved in the study said, reports CBS News.

However, he said that largest titanosaurs have always been a mystery as their fossils are found incomplete most of the time.

The scientists excavated the skeleton over four field seasons between 2005 and 2009, reports The Wall Street Journal.

The bones which were taken to the US for research study will be returned to Argentina next year. They will be exhibited at a museum in Rio Gallegos, which lies at the tip of South America as they were discovered in 2005 from the region.