Titanosaur: Largest dinosaur ever to walk the Earth goes on display at the Natural History Museum

The cast of largest ever dinosaur comes to Natural History Museum, Nick Wallis reports

By Daniel Boal, ITV News multimedia producer

Standing at eight-metres tall and 37 metres long, the titanosaur is one of the largest creatures to ever walk the Earth.

And now, visitors have been will be able to walk beneath the colossal dinosaur's skeleton at the Natural History Museum in London.

With a new exhibit opening on March 31, it will mark the first time the massive dinosaur's skeleton has ever been shown in Europe.

At four times heavier than Dippy the Diplodocus, which itself weighed around 15 tonnes, the titanosaur weighs as much as nine African Elephants and is the most complete gigantic dinosaur skeleton ever discovered.

Officials at the museum have said it is so large that it barely fits inside the nine-metre-high Waterhouse gallery, and the sheer scale of the beast would dwarf anyone who comes to take a look.

A comparison in sizes between the titanosaur and an African Elephant. Credit: National History Museum.

Fact file:

  • The skeleton of the dinosaur weighs 2.67 tonnes, which is the same as five concert grand pianos or approximately 46,842 hot cross buns.

  • It is thought to have weighed far more when alive, with experts stating it could have weighed as much as 57 tonnes.

  • From nose to tail, the living animal measured approximately 37 metres in length. The same length as nine London fire engines.

  • It is also thought to have stood at around eight metres tall.

  • Most adult femur bones are around 46 cm. Titanosaur’s femur is 2.38 metres.

  • The massive dinosaur is thought to have eaten over 129kgs of plants every day. The equivalent of 516 round lettuces.

  • Even with how large they eventually grew, their eggs were only the size of a grapefruit.

The Titanosaur skeleton in the Natural History Museum. Credit: PA

Professor Paul Barrett, science lead on the exhibition says: "Patagotitan mayorum is an incredible specimen that tells us more about giant titanosaurs than ever before.

"Comparable in weight to more than nine African elephants, this star specimen will inspire visitors to care for some of the planet's largest and most vulnerable creatures, which face similar challenges for survival, and show that within Earth’s ecosystems, size really does matter."

Dr Alex Burch, Director of Public Programmes at the Museum added: "We are so excited that Patagotitan, the most complete giant dinosaur ever discovered, is making its European debut here at the Natural History Museum, the home of the dinosaur.

"Our fascination with dinosaurs provides the ideal opportunity to inspire and inform the next generation about the natural world, and empower them to act for the planet."

Those wishing to catch a look at the huge dino will be able to at the Natural History Museum from March 31 till January 2024.

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