Giganotosaurus

Filed under Cretaceous dinosaurs · Types of Dinosaurs editorial team

Order: Saurischia · Suborder: Theropoda · Infraorder: Carcharodontosauria · Family: Carcharodontosauridae

Giganotosaurus, whose name means "giant southern lizard," was one of the largest land-living predators to ever roam Earth. This massive carnivore measured between 39 and 43 feet in length and lived during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now Argentina. A member of the carcharodontosaurid family of theropod dinosaurs, Giganotosaurus rivalled or exceeded Tyrannosaurus in body length, making it a formidable apex predator of its time.

Built for hunting, Giganotosaurus possessed a long, narrow skull armed with blade-like serrated teeth designed for slicing through flesh. Despite its colossal size, the dinosaur had a relatively small brain compared with some other theropods. Paleontologists believe Giganotosaurus likely preyed upon the giant long-necked sauropods that inhabited the same environment, using its impressive dimensions and weaponry to dominate its ecosystem.

The discovery and study of Giganotosaurus significantly reshaped scientific understanding of how large meat-eating dinosaurs could grow. Its existence demonstrated that theropod predators achieved extraordinary sizes, challenging and expanding previous assumptions about the limits of terrestrial predator evolution during the Cretaceous era.

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Reference background: Natural History Museum, London — Dinosaurs; Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Dinosaurs; American Museum of Natural History — Dinosaurs & Fossils. Figures are typical published ranges; taxonomy follows the source era and modern consensus is noted where it differs. See our sources & fact-check policy.

Related dinosaurs

Other dinosaurs from the Carcharodontosauridae family.