
Experts found similar fossils before, but in Mongolia, they found a huge dinosaur footprint.
Archeologists have recently announced the discovery of a huge dinosaur footprint in the Gobi desert. Specialists estimate that this is the largest in the world. The place of the finding comes as no surprise to experts, as they know that the Gobi desert, as well as other deserts in Mongolia, is famous for its unique fossils.
According to specialists, the huge dinosaur footprint belongs to a Titanosaur. The monster comes from distant times, as it is deemed to have lived about ninety million years ago. As far as the sizes of its footprint are concerned, the fossil is one hundred and six centimeters long and seventy-seven centimeters wide.
The huge dinosaur footprint was discovered by a group of Japanese and Mongol specialists. They came upon the fossil last month. The archeologists were impressed by how well-preserved was the fossil. They could even observe the traces of the animal’s claws.
Based on the huge sizes of the footprint, researchers could estimate the sizes of the dinosaur too. Their calculations lead them to believe that this particular Titanosaur must have been twenty meters tall and thirty meters long.
Titanosaurs were one of the largest creatures to ever walk on Earth. They were herbivorous and can be easily recognized in biology and history books by their long necks. Their head and teeth were quite small in comparison to their bodies. They weighted approximately ninety tons when they reached maturity, which is considerate to be around twenty years of age.
A baby titanosaur had normal sizes, weighing about three or four kilograms as a newborn. However, they would grow up incredibly fast, gaining three times more weight within weeks.
The huge dinosaur footprint is an important discovery for scientists because of its features and because it belongs to such a Titanosaur. A skeleton of the beast can be seen in New York, at the American Museum of Natural History. It is one of the biggest reconstruction’s of a dinosaur’s skeleton, and the exhibition room seems to be too small for it.
Researchers suggest that fossils belonging to large-sized dinosaurs are frequently dug up from archeological sites. They expect to find new ones soon. As far as small dinosaurs are concerned, there are fewer fossils which account for their existence. This makes it difficult for specialists to document on the small reptiles.
For the time being, the discovery of the huge dinosaur footprint in the Mongolian desert is a new victory for archeologists.
Image courtesy of: Wikipedia