largest dinosaur - who is he?When people began to dig up dinosaur bones (which is the first time happened a very long time) arose the legend of the giant dragon.The Greeks believed the bones remains of their heroes - members of the siege of Troy.After the rise of Christianity, the fashion to regard them as skeletons of animals did not survive the Flood.And the Chinese are even attributed their healing properties.Everything changed in the nineteenth century, when it was proved that the bones - the remains of prehistoric animals.The first dinosaur was described megalosaur - one of the carnivorous dinosaurs that lived 180 million years ago.Although the name "megalosaur" is translated as a huge lizard, were later found the remains of animals that exceed its size many times.
Dimensions "most-most" of the dinosaurs grew with each new discovery.The largest dinosaur, as would be expected, turned out to be the representative of "herbivorous fraction" of ancient dinosaurs.But brontosaurus, which in the late nineteenth century has passed, "the banner" the biggest lizard, long basked in the glory.After a few decades, new discoveries were made, change the view of humanity antediluvian animals.What is the same situation today?
title of "the biggest dinosaur" is now owned lizard with a difficult name bruhathkayosaurus.His bones were found in 1995 in India.However, the "bones" - not quite true.Bruhathkayosaurus was described by a single bone - the tibia.The skeletons of large dinosaurs in recent years hardly find their remodel of the few fragments found.For example, another contender for the title of "largest dinosaur" - amphicoelias - was described even by whole bone, and by part (!) Vertebra.As the basis of the fragment, scientists were able to establish the height, weight and length of the ancient animals - the big question.But, obviously, such methods exist, and with little tolerance of errors, otherwise it would "restore" the dinosaurs would not have entered into the list of ancient animals.Put in this regard to the opinion of professionals.
So, the current 2013 who can qualify for the title of "the biggest dinosaur?"The first applicant - bruhathkayosaurus.This giant weighed (at the orthodox hypothesis) to 240 tons and had a length of 44 meters.The second becomes amphicoelias maximum weight of the expected 155 tons and a length of 62 meters.In comparison with the "champion" - a kind of slender goner: long but easy.Relatively, of course ...
third place and the bronze medal obtains the representative of South America (though at the time, it seems, it is not yet separated from the mainland total array) Argentinosaurus.It had a length of 35 meters and a weight of up to 108 tons.Fourth place went to sauroposeidon, which had a length of 31 meters and weight of 60 tons.It is notable that, in contrast to most other large herbivorous dinosaurs, the neck is not held parallel to the ground, and extended upwards.Thanks to what could easily look into the window of the fifth floor of a modern house.And then the sixth.And finally, the top five closes supersaurus.The length of 34 meters and a weight of 40 tonnes make it quite nevelichka against the backdrop of a massive winners.
As for predatory dinosaurs, the largest carnivorous dinosaur in the unanimous opinion of scientists, it Giganotosaurus, having a growth of 7 meters and a weight of 13 tons.Why is the largest dinosaurs, herbivores and predators representatives so vary greatly in size?The fact is that for the normal life of predators need to eat large amounts of meat-eating.And with large dimensions and weight they need to sustain life devour a huge number of animals.If the predators would be the size of a bruhathkayosaurus, they would have to destroy all the herbivores, and then himself die.From hunger.
