Giganotosaurus Description
Giganotosaurus (Giganotosaurus carolinii) was one of the largest terrestrial meat-eating dinosaurs to ever roam the Earth. Inhabiting modern-day Argentina during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 95 to 100 million years ago, this apex predator belonged to the Carcharodontosauridae family. It was characterized by a massive 6-foot skull armed with rows of 8-inch serrated teeth built for slicing flesh.
Could You Outrun a Giganotosaurus?
No, a human could not outrun a Giganotosaurus. Biomechanical models estimate that its long, muscular legs propelled its massive frame to top speeds between 20 and 31 miles per hour (32 to 50 km/h). Because the average human sprints at around 12 to 15 mph, this prehistoric predator would easily overtake you in a footrace.
Are You Bigger Than a Giganotosaurus?
Absolutely not. A full-grown Giganotosaurus dwarfed humans, stretching up to 43 feet (13 meters) in length and standing 12 feet tall at the hips. Tipping the scales between 7 and 10 metric tons, its weight was comparable to that of an entire commercial school bus. In fact, its head alone was larger than most adult humans.
Fun Facts
- Its name does not come from the word “gigantic”; it means “Giant Southern Lizard” in Greek.
- Despite having an enormous skull, its brain was tiny—roughly the size and shape of a single banana.
- Close fossil proximity suggests they likely hunted in packs to bring down massive long-necked sauropods.
- Unlike the bone-crushing jaws of a T. rex, its teeth acted like serrated blades to inflict bleeding wounds.
- The original 70%-complete skeleton was discovered in 1993 by an amateur fossil hunter named Rubén Carolini.
Dino-mite Equations!
Question #1: A pack of two-legged Giganotosaurus is tracking a herd of four-legged Argentinosaurus. There are a total of 48 legs on the scene. If there are exactly 5 Argentinosaurus, write and solve an equation to find the number of Giganotosaurus
Answer #1
14!
Question #2: A museum curator counts a collection of fossilized teeth from a T. rex and a Giganotosaurus. The Giganotosaurus has 12 more teeth than the T. rex. Together, they have 132 teeth. Write and solve an equation to find the number of teeth a T. rex has
Answer #2
60!
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