New York – The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) has presented a new permanent exhibit of a 122-foot-long Titanosaur that does not even enter into just one room of the fourth floor of the museum. The huge fossil that was found in the Patagonia in Argentina, belonged to a dinosaur that weighed approximately 77 tons, which is the equivalent of 15 African elephants. Since January 15, people will be able to look at a replica of the dinosaur that has left scientists impressed.
It was explained by the Museum, that the Titanosaur that was discovered in 2014 in La Flecha, a desert near the Patagonia, has presented a completely new discovery for the scientific community, which has not determined a formal name to the species yet. The excavation of the fossil was made by a team of paleontologists from the Argentinian Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio.
“Titanosaur fossils have been unearthed on every continent, and an abundance of discoveries in recent years has helped us appreciate the deep diversity of this group,” said Michael Novacek, the Museum’s Senior Vice President and Provost for Science in a press release.
According to researchers, the titanosaur lived in the Cretaceous, a geologic period that was dominated by astonishing creatures such as dinosaurs. When the excavation took place in La Flecha, the team found fossilized bones from another five titanosaurs, which appear to be the largest dinosaurs found on Earth.
A study with more details about the impressive specimen, that can be admired in the AMNH, will be published in four months. It appears that the bones of the dinosaur are fragile, in order to protect them, the team of researchers developed 3D replicas of the 84 bones with fiberglass to expose the figure of the titanosaur in the museum.
Besides the new replica of the titanosaur, the AMNH will exhibit temporarily since January 15, some of the original bones of the species that has been encountered on all continents of the world. Researchers have claimed that the new findings will help them understand how such huge creatures could be walking around thousands of years ago. Ellen V. Futter, President of the American Museum of Natural History, explained that paleontology has made considerable advances in the last years.
“This thrilling display dramatically brings to the public one of the latest and largest discoveries in paleontology, a field that is experiencing rapid advancement right now, and one of longstanding expertise for this Museum. When the monumental titanosaur cast is unveiled at the gateway of our fossil halls, it will join such beloved Museum icons as the giant blue whale, the great canoe, and, of course, Tyrannosaurus rex, as a destination, anchoring a journey of discovery for visitors of all ages,” Futter said in a press release.
The AMNH has one of the biggest collections of dinosaur fossils in the world, and it carries expeditions in order to find new species. According to a press release, the museum owns more than 5 million fossil invertebrates and approximately 1 million fossil vertebrates that have been found in more than 100 years.
Source: American Museum of Natural History