Shocking discovery: The world’s largest dinosaur has been discovered: a 37-metre colossus weighing 70 tonnes that roamed the Earth 102 million years ago

If you thought the 25-meter-tall Diplodocus was big, think agape.

Paleontologists recently discovered a new species of titanosaur that would have measured an astonishing 37 metres long when it roamed the Earth 102 million years ago.

The discovery was made in Argentina, and in an upcoming documentary, naturalist Sir David Attenborough will tell the story of what led experts to make the astonishing find.

Palaeontologists have recently discovered a species of titanosaur (model shown right) that would have measured a staggering 37 metres long when it roamed the Earth 102 million years ago. The discovery was made in Argentina and in an upcoming TV programme Sir David Attenborough (left) will tell the story of how it was found.

The vegetarian titanosaur is believed to have been the largest animal ever to walk the Earth, weighing in at 70 metric tons – the equivalent of 14 African elephants.

Compared to a large Diplodocus – one of the most easily recognizable dinosaurs – the titanosaur was no less than 11 meters longer.

To put that into perspective, the prehistoric creature would have been the length of four double-decker buses.

In the documentary, which will be broadcast by the BBC on January 25, the famous broadcaster and naturalist will tell the story of how in 2014, a shepherd saw the tip of a giant fossil bone protruding from a rock on the La Flecha farm, in the province of Chubut, in the Argentine desert.

When the news reached the paleontologists at the Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio (MEF) in Trelew, Argentina, they set up camp at the site of the discovery.

In the documentary, which will be broadcast on the BBC on 25 January, the famous broadcaster and naturalist will tell the story of how in 2014, a shepherd spotted the tip of a giant fossil bone sticking out of a rock in the Argentine desert. The excavation site is shown.

The first bone turned out to be a 2.4-metre-long femur – the largest ever found.

By the end of the excavation, they had discovered more than 220 bones and 80 teeth at the same site.

Analysis of the leg bones shows that the huge titanosaurs were young, but still growing, adults.

So the adult specimen would have been even larger.

Giant titanosaurs are large, so the find was exceptional both for the number of bones discovered and for the excellent condition in which they were found.

As the show will reveal, these fossils come not from just one dinosaur but from seven, all belonging to a new species of the giant herbivorous titanosaur that has yet to be given its own scientific name.

The name will be announced as soon as the scientific article is published.

“It was like a palaeontological excavation, something that is not found anywhere else in the world with the potential to discover all kinds of new data about titanosaurs,” said Dr Diego Pol, lead scientist on the excavation at the MEF.

‘According to our estimates this animal weighed 70 tons.

Compared to a large Diplodocus, the titanosaur was a whopping 11 metres longer. To put that into perspective, the prehistoric creature would have been the length of four double-decker buses. This graphic shows what Sir Attenborough would have looked like standing next to the eastern dinosaur.

The first bone turned out to be a 2.4-metre-long femur, the largest ever found (pictured left and right with Sir David Attenborough). By the end of the excavation, palaeontologists had discovered more than 220 bones and 80 teeth at the same site.

Analysis of the leg bones shows that the huge titanosaurs were young adults, but were still growing. The adult specimen would therefore have been even larger. This dinosaur can be measured much more precisely than Argentinosaurus (illustrated), because only a dozen bones of the latter were found.

HOW DOES THE NEW SPECIES COMPARE TO ARGENTINOSAURUS?

Argentinosaurus was the largest known dinosaur before the new titanosaur species was discovered in 2014.

It is believed to have been around 85 feet (26 meters) long.

It was originally thought to weigh 100 tons after the initial discovery in 1991, but the estimate was revised to 70 tons or less.

Estimates vary because the species was estimated from only a few bones from incomplete skeletons.

Argentinosaurus also lived in Patagonia in the Late Cretaceous, between 94 and 97 million years ago.

‘A comparison of the dorsal vertebrae shows that this animal was 10 percent larger than Argentinosaurus, the previous record holder.

‘We have discovered the largest dinosaur ever known’

This dinosaur can be measured much more precisely than Argentinosaurus, because only a dozen bones of the latter have been found.

Filmed over two years, the documentary, called Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur, follows the twists and turns of this forensic investigation.

Witness for the first time the discovery, cleaning and examination of these enormous fossils.

Some of the fossils weigh more than half a metric ton, making it difficult to transport them from a remote location, about three hours from the nearest town.

Using state-of-the-art graphics, the show reveals what scientists believe the internal structure of a dinosaur looked like and how it worked.

Using state-of-the-art graphics, the show will reveal what scientists believe the internal structure of a dinosaur looked like and how it worked, as well as many of the dinosaur’s bones (one pictured).

He explained that the animals’ hearts would have weighed as much as three people and measured 6 feet (two meters) in circumference.

It would have produced up to 158 pints (90 litres) of good round from a single feeding.

The titanosaur would have eaten an entire mouthful of food a day, using its massive gut to slowly digest its plant-based diet.

The documentary ends with the presentation of a huge skeleton built by a team of Canadian and Argentine modelers, representing the newly discovered titanosaur.

It will be broadcast on the BBC on Sunday 24 January at 18.30 GMT.

The fossils were discovered at an excavation site on the La Flecha farm in Chubut province (pictured) in the Argentine desert.

The new species of vegetarian titanosaur is believed to have been the largest animal ever to walk the Earth, weighing in at 70 metric tons, surpassing the previous record holder, fellow titanosaur Argentinosaurus. This file image shows a child looking at an eight-metre-tall skeleton.