Pronounced: pa-Ral-ih-Tie - tan
Diet: Herbivore (Plant-Eater)
Name Means: "Tidal Giant"
Length: 90 feet (27 m)
Height: 30 feet (9 m)
Weight: 50 tons (47,000 kilos)
Time: Middle Cretaceous - 110 mya
Fossil remains for this Dinosaur have been found in North Africa
Paralititan is one of the biggest dinosaurs yet
discovered, second in size only to
Argentinosaurus Its description is based on
just over 100 bone fragments from 16 different bones.
Though further evidence is needed, some scientists
speculate that it could be so closely related to
Argentinosaurus that it may ultimately prove
to be of the same genus.
The discovery of this giant was the direct result of a German scientist named Ernst Stromer. While working in the Egyptian desert in 1916, Stromer uncovered several strange new dinosaurs that he excavated and brought back to Germany. Unfortunately, his records, all of the fossils, and the museum that housed them were destroyed in an Allied bombing raid during World War II. Many years later an old manuscript was found that contained the location of the site where Stromer had made his discoveries. Researchers used this information to return to the site, where they uncovered Paralititan.
The discovery of Paralititan represents the opening of a whole new geographic area that could be rich with fossils and scientific information. Many scientists think that North Africa may change what we know about certain dinosaurs and the environment in which they lived. As an example, Paralititan is the first known sauropod to have lived among mangroves.