Tallest Dinosaurs In The World: Top 10 Biggest Dinosaurs Ever

Let’s talk about the Tallest Dinosaurs In The World. Dinosaurs were huge reptiles that lived on Earth for millions of years. When discussing the biggest dinosaurs, we usually consider the ones with the longest measurement from head to tail. It’s like measuring from the front to the back.

Some might think measuring dinosaurs by their height or weight is important. But for our discussion, we’ll focus on their length. Scientists believe many of these big plant-eating dinosaurs stood on their back legs to reach food. So, their total height and reach could be over 100 feet, even if they didn’t look that tall.

So, in simple terms, we’ll use the length as the measure for the largest dinosaurs. But we’ll also share some other interesting facts about these creatures.

Measurement Of Largest Dinosaur

For our needs, the largest dinosaurs are determined by their head-to-tail length. While measuring by height or weight could be useful, individually, they don’t define the “largest” creature. The length of these dinosaurs also gives insights into their height, as many giant herbivores are believed to have reared back on hind legs to reach food, making their optimal height and reach over 100 feet despite not being traditionally tall. In summary, we’ll consider length as the measure for the largest dinosaur but provide additional background information on these creatures.

Top 10 Tallest Dinosaurs in the world

Rank	Name	Weight (Tons)	Hight (ft)
1	Supersaurus vivianae	35-40 ton	105-138 ft
2	Patagotitan mayorum	57-85 ton	102-121 ft
3	Maraapunisaurus fragilimus	87-132 ton	99-131 ft
4	Argentinosaurus huinculensis	72-110 ton	98-115 ft
5	Antarctosaurus giganteus	64-72 ton	98 ft
6	Puertasaurus reuili	50-61 ton	98 ft
7	Sauroposeidon proteles	44-66 ton	92-112 ft
8	Diplodocus hallorum	11-25 ton	89-115 ft
9	Ruyangosaurus giganteus	55-60 ton	85-115 ft
10	Barosaurus lentus	13-73 ton	82–89 ft

1. Supersaurus

• Name: Supersaurus vivianae
• Height: 105-138 ft
• Weight: 35-40 tons

The Supersaurus is the first in the top 10 tallest Dinosaurs in the world. Fossils of the Supersaurus vivianae have been found in Colorado and possibly in Portugal. This dinosaur lived around 153 million years ago. Initially, experts thought it could be as long as 141 feet, but now they think it was between 105 and 138 feet.

Even though Supersaurus was considered the world’s largest dinosaur, it wasn’t as heavy as you might expect for its length. The fossil specimens for Supersaurus are in good condition. Recent estimates suggest its length could be over 120 feet or 40 meters, possibly even closer to 140 feet.

Read Also: Tallest Trees In The World

2. Patagotitan

• Name: Patagotitan mayorum
• Height: 102-121 ft
• Weight: 57-85 tons

The Patagotitan mayorum is the second in the top 10 tallest Dinosaurs in the world. Experts believe Patagotitan mayor, also known as Titanosaur, lived around 97 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period. Initially, it was to be about 121 feet long and weigh around 85 tons, but recent reconsiderations have adjusted those estimates.

Patagotitan is a type of Titanosaur, and it ranks among the largest land mammals ever discovered. To give you an idea, it’s about the size of 7 African elephants. Despite its enormous size, it was a herbivore that ate plants. However, there’s still much to learn about its diet, though scientists speculate it might have consumed leaves and fruits from tall trees.

Unlike many dinosaurs, where scientists have to make educated guesses, researchers have been fortunate to recover 84 fossils in Argentina’s Patagonia region. These fossils are now at the American Museum of Natural History.

3. Maraapunisaurus

• Name: Maraapunisaurus fragilimus
• Height: 99-131 ft
• Weight: 87-132 tons

The Maraapunisaurus is considered one of the world’s largest dinosaurs, but there’s little evidence about this creature. Surprisingly, only one fossil of the Maraapunisaurus fragillimus has been found, and unfortunately, it got lost.

Using contemporary measurements and field notes from the lost fossil, Gregory S. Paul, a well-known researcher in dinosaur restorations, suggested that the Maraapunisaurus might have been around 131 feet long at its maximum. This is smaller than the original estimates, which proposed a length of 200 feet.

Even though the descriptions of the fossil hint that it could have been the biggest dinosaur ever, the lack of detailed information, accurate documentation, and precise measurements make it challenging and somewhat impossible to declare this creature as the largest ever.

4. Argentinosaurus

• Name: Argentinosaurus huinculensis
• Height: 98-115 ft
• Weight: 72-110 tons

The Argentinosaurus huinculensis existed during the Late Cretaceous period, but its fossils weren’t discovered until 1987 when a farmer found them near Plaza Huincul, Argentina. There’s a lot of debate about the size of this dinosaur. Some sources suggest it was around 98 feet long, while others claim it could have been as much as 130 feet. 

The same uncertainty exists for its weight, with estimates ranging from 144,000 pounds to over 220,000 pounds.Argentinosaurus is considered one of the largest land animals in history. Researchers have found many high-quality fossils, allowing them to conclude their size reasonably.

This dinosaur is the reason for the disclaimer at the beginning of this article. In some ways, it’s considered one of the biggest creatures to roam the land, but varying estimates exist. Due to these uncertainties, it’s important to respect the expertise of experts in the field.

5. Antarctosaurus

• Name: Antarctosaurus giganteus
• Height: 98 ft
• Weight: 64-72 tons

The Antarctosaurus giganteus is the largest member of its genus, and the first details about this dinosaur emerged in 1929. The initial findings, though incomplete, provided a good understanding of its ribs and vertebrae.

The fossil fragments led scientists to estimate its size. Based on two femurs measuring 7.7 feet, they believe the dinosaur was approximately 98 feet long and stood about 33 to 36 feet tall.

There needs to be more certainty regarding the length and weight of this dinosaur. Recent estimates suggest it could have weighed as much as 72 or 76 tons. However, there’s ongoing debate among scientists, with some suggesting it might have been 100 feet long and weighed 50 tons. The Antarctosaurus giganteus remains a dinosaur surrounded by mystery.

6. Puertasaurus

• Name: Puertasaurus reuili
• Height: 98 ft
• Weight: 50-61 tons

Fossils of Puertasaurus rebuild, the first Titanosaur with preserved cervical vertebrae, were discovered in southwestern Patagonia, Argentina, dating back to the Late Cretaceous Period.

Paleontologists estimate that this dinosaur was around 98 feet long and weighed approximately 50 to 61 tons, equivalent to 122,000 pounds. Its dorsal vertebra, measuring 5 feet 6 inches, holds the record for the broadest recovered vertebra fossil. The size and shape of this vertebra suggest a potentially wide rib cage, indicating it may have been heavier than other dinosaurs from the same period.

Scientists believe Puertasaurus reuili had a more flexible neck than most dinosaurs. This flexibility gave it a broader diet, reaching different places that dinosaurs with stiff necks couldn’t access.

7. Sauroposeidon 

• Name: Sauroposeidon proteles
• Height: 92-112 ft
• Weight: 44-66 tons

During the Early Cretaceous period, the Sauroposeidon proteles lived in Texas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. Initially, people thought it was the largest dinosaur ever due to its incredible height, mainly from its immense neck.

This dinosaur, potentially reaching a length of 112 feet, might have stood up to 55 feet tall if it could stretch its head straight up, making it the tallest dinosaur. It also weighed between 88,000 and 112,000 pounds.

Discovered in Oklahoma in 1994, the first fossils were mistakenly thought to be petrified wood and stored by the University of Oklahoma. It took six years for a graduate student to realize the error and recognize them as some of the largest dinosaur bones ever found.  

8. Diplodocus

• Name: Diplodocus hallorum
• Height: 89-115 ft
• Weight: 11-25 tons

The Diplodocus hallorum lived at the end of the Jurassic Period and is recognized for its long tail, extended neck, robust body, and strong legs. Scientists estimate that this dinosaur could reach up to 115 feet in length.

Despite its considerable length, Diplodocus hallorum is surprisingly lightweight compared to other dinosaurs. It’s believed to weigh around 28,000 to 50,000 pounds.

Another intriguing feature of this species is its scaly skin. Preserved scales have provided valuable insights for scientists, helping them understand the appearance and functioning of dinosaurs from that era.

9. Ruyangosaurus

• Name: Ruyangosaurus giganteus
• Height: 85-115 ft
• Weight: 55-60 tons

The R. giganteus is a relatively recent discovery in the world of large dinosaurs, having been found in China and described in 2009. Information about this species is limited, but scientists have provided estimates regarding its size and the era it lived in.

It is believed that R. giganteus lived during the Cretaceous era. There are two size estimates for this dinosaur. One source suggests it was likely around 35 meters long, while another suggests about 24.8 meters long. In simpler terms, this creature measured between 81 and 115 feet in length.

Estimates indicate that the dinosaur weighed between 37.5 tons and 55 tons. It was likely a long dinosaur standing over 30 feet tall. However, the scarcity of fossils from this specimen makes it challenging to determine its size.

10. Barosaurus

• Name: Barosaurus lentus
• Height: 82-89 ft
• Weight: 13–73 tons

The Barosaurus is the last in the top 10 tallest Dinosaurs in the world. Until recently, the Barosaurus was considered the largest dinosaur ever, with estimates putting its length at around 157 feet. However, recent studies discovered that the fossil remains used for these estimates belonged to Supersaurus, specifically the BYU 9024 specimen.

As a result, the revised size for Barosaurus is probably 89 feet or a bit longer. This dinosaur had unique features like forked bones in its tail with spikes, ending in a whiplash. The tail was potentially used as a weapon. Additionally, Barosaurus may have been capable of rearing up on its hind legs to reach plants high above the ground.

How Did Dinosaurs Grow So Huge?

Dinosaurs grew huge due to various factors in their biology. Some had air-filled bones and efficient bird-like lungs, making it easier for them to support their weight on land and have effective respiration and heat exchange. These features contributed to their ability to grow to enormous sizes. Additionally, larger animals can lay more eggs and reproduce quickly, providing a reproductive advantage. 

However, not all dinosaur lineages followed this pattern; some remained small or showed size reductions over time. Overall, a combination of biological adaptations, including skeletal structure and respiratory efficiency, likely played a role in the impressive size attained by many dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs featured unique skeletal structures with air-filled bones, aiding in supporting their massive bodies on land. Efficient bird-like lungs further facilitated respiration and heat exchange, contributing to their ability to attain enormous sizes.

Larger dinosaurs potentially had a reproductive edge as they could lay more eggs and reproduce quickly. This reproductive strategy favored the evolution of gigantic body sizes among certain dinosaur species.

Contrary to the belief in a constant size increase (Cope’s rule), the study reveals diverse growth patterns among dinosaurs. Some lineages remained small or experienced size reductions, challenging the notion that all dinosaurs uniformly evolved towards larger body sizes over time.

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