GIGANOTOSAURUS CAROLINII - INFO
TIME
Late Cretaceous, Early Cenomanian
LOCATION
Near Villa El Chocón, Neuquén province of Patagonia, Argentina
Candeleros formation
Measurements for this taxa
HOLOTYPE :
Skull
Maximum skull length: 157.2 cm
Maximum skull height (JUG -> PORB): 63.3 cm
Body
Maximum length (along centra): 1274 cm (12.7 m)
Maximum length (along the curves of silhouette) ~1300 cm (13.01 m)
Weight
Holotype: 8000 kg - 9000 kg
ABOUT GIGANOTOSAURUS:
Giganotosaurus carolinii is one of the largest theropod dinosaurs, and probably the largest carcharodontosaurid (as of 2025)
References
Skull
Canale, J.I., Apesteguía, S., Gallina, P.A., Mitchell, J., Smith, N.D., Cullen, T.M., Shinya, A., Haluza, A., Gianechini, F.A. and Makovicky, P.J., 2022. New giant carnivorous dinosaur reveals convergent evolutionary trends in theropod arm reduction. Current Biology, 32(14), pp.3195-3202.
Canale, J.I., Novas, F.E., Salgado, L. and Coria, R.A., 2015. Cranial ontogenetic variation in Mapusaurus roseae (Dinosauria: Theropoda) and the probable role of heterochrony in carcharodontosaurid evolution. Paläontologische Zeitschrift, 89, pp.983-993.
Canale, J.I., Palombi, D, (2023-2024) Online communication with Dan Folkes through Warpath MT
Coria, R.A. and Salgado, L., 1995. A new giant carnivorous dinosaur from the Cretaceous of Patagonia. Nature, 377(6546), pp.224-226.
Rolando, A.M.A., Motta, M.J., Agnolín, F.L., Tsuihiji, T., Miner, S., Brissón-Egli, F. and Novas, F.E., 2024. A new carcharodontosaurid specimen sheds light on the anatomy of South American giant predatory dinosaurs. The Science of Nature, 111(6), p.56.
Postcrania
Canale, J.I., Apesteguía, S., Gallina, P.A., Mitchell, J., Smith, N.D., Cullen, T.M., Shinya, A., Haluza, A., Gianechini, F.A. and Makovicky, P.J., 2022. New giant carnivorous dinosaur reveals convergent evolutionary trends in theropod arm reduction. Current Biology, 32(14), pp.3195-3202.
Canale, J.I., Novas, F.E. and Pol, D., 2015. Osteology and phylogenetic relationships of Tyrannotitan chubutensis Novas, de Valais, Vickers-Rich and Rich, 2005 (Theropoda: Carcharodontosauridae) from the Lower Cretaceous of Patagonia, Argentina. Historical Biology, 27(1), pp.1-32.
Canale, J.I., Palombi, D, (2023-2024) Online communication with Dan Folkes through Warpath MT
Coria, R.A. and Currie, P.J., 2006. A new carcharodontosaurid (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina. Geodiversitas, 28(1), pp.71-118.
Coria, R.A. and Salgado, L., 1995. A new giant carnivorous dinosaur from the Cretaceous of Patagonia. Nature, 377(6546), pp.224-226.
Currie, P.J. and Carpenter, K., 2000. A new specimen of Acrocanthosaurus atokensis (Theropoda, Dinosauria) from the lower Cretaceous Antlers formation (lower Cretaceous, Aptian) of Oklahoma, USA. Geodiversitas, 22(2), p.207.
Rolando, A.M.A., Motta, M.J., Agnolín, F.L., Tsuihiji, T., Miner, S., Brissón-Egli, F. and Novas, F.E., 2024. A new carcharodontosaurid specimen sheds light on the anatomy of South American giant predatory dinosaurs. The Science of Nature, 111(6), p.56.
