A team of scientists in Argentina have unearthed the remains of the largest species of dinosaur discovered to date, paleontologists announced Saturday.
Seven "huge" herbivorous dinosaurs were discovered at one site in the province of Chubut, Argentina, according to the Paleontological Museum Egidio Feruglio, which led the dig.
The new species are estimated to have been 40 meters in length and 80 tons in weight, surpassing the previous record-holder for the world's largest dinosaur — the Argentinosaurus.
"The remains are quite complete, so the size and weight estimates have good precision," José Luis Carballido, a dinosaur specialist at the museum, told NBC News. "If there ever was a larger one, it remains to be seen."
The length of just one of the colossal creatures is the equivalent of two semi trucks, one after another, and the weight of more than 14 African elephants, said Carballido, who is in charge of the study of the specimens.
The dinosaur species, which has yet to be named, lived during the late Mesozoic era and died in the same spot where they were discovered, the museum reported. Fossils from the seven dinosaurs were all found together.
Researchers said they found a number of different bones, from the neck and much of the back, the tail, and fore and hind legs.
The first discovery at the site was made by a rural worker in 2011, Carballido said, and excavation began in 2013.
Carballido said that only one-fifth of the site has been explored so far, "so there is still much work to do and probably much to discover."
— Elisha Fieldstadt
