The bones of several Titanosaurs, the largest dinosaurs to have ever walked the Earth, were unveiled Saturday in Argentina during a ceremony at the Egidio Feruglio Museum of Paleontology.
"This is a true paleontological treasure," stated museum paleontologist Jose Luis Carballido,
The New York Post reported. "Given the size of these bones, which surpass any of the previously known giant animals, the new dinosaur is the largest animal known that walked on Earth."
The class of sauropods known as Titanosuars, named after the Titans of ancient Greek mythology, were as tall as a seven-story building, weighed 100 tons, walked on four legs, sported long necks and tails, and — being strict herbivores — dined only on plants.
Urgent: Do You Approve Or Disapprove of President Obama's Job Performance? Vote Now in Urgent Poll
"It's like two trucks with a trailer each, one in front of the other, and the weight of 14 elephants together," said Carballido,
according to CNN.
150 bones were recovered from seven partial skeletons, all of which were in "remarkable condition," and date back 95 million years to the Mesozoic Era. The group of them likely died, the paleontologists conjectured, due to dehydration or being mired in the mud.
60 teeth from smaller carnivores were found among the remains, suggesting the behemoth herbivores became a snack during or after their death. The Titanosaurs' thick hides likely dislodged and broke many of their assailants' teeth along the way.
The specific species of Titanosaurs uncovered have not yet been named, but
researchers told the BBC the name will confer "honor to both the region and the farm owners who alerted us about the discovery." Scientists were tipped off about the bones in 2011, after a farmer in desert region near Patagonia stumbled upon them.
Urgent: Assess Your Heart Attack Risk in Minutes. Click Here.