“The Giant of the Cretaceous South”
Binomial Giganotosaurus carolinii · JIG-uh-NOH-toh-SORE-us
Late Cretaceous - 99-95 Ma
IllustrationGiganotosaurus fossil records in Fossil Atlas are mapped as selected modern discovery locations, with 1 source-backed records currently shown. Patagonia, Argentina, especially Candeleros Formation context in the current atlas. Key mapped formations in the current dataset include Candeleros. These pins are fossil record locations, not a complete ancient habitat map.
Giganotosaurus was a giant carcharodontosaurid theropod from Late Cretaceous Argentina. Fossil Atlas maps selected discovery evidence and keeps the fossil-location caveat visible.
Drawn true to scale on a metre ruler.
Length
measured12.5 m · 41 ft
Largest known specimens
Height
measured4 m (13 ft)
Body mass
estimate7,000 kg · 15,400 lb
Typical adult
Top speed
estimate32 km/h · 20 mph
Modelled, debated
Giganotosaurus was one of the largest theropods known, comparable in length to T. rex but from a completely different lineage and continent. Its teeth were long and blade-like, built for slicing rather than bone-crushing, suggesting a predatory approach more similar to Carcharodontosaurus than to tyrannosaurs. It lived alongside some of the largest sauropods known, and the question of whether carcharodontosaurids hunted these giants has been raised but not resolved.
The teeth
Long, narrow, flattened teeth with fine serrations, similar to Carcharodontosaurus. Designed for cutting flesh rather than crushing bone.
The skull
Long and relatively narrow, with a long snout. Less mechanically robust than a tyrannosaur skull but capable of delivering a strong slicing bite.
Size
Estimates based on the known material suggest it exceeded 12 metres, possibly reaching 13. A skull larger than T. rex's but on a lighter build.
The fossil record
Known from a nearly complete skeleton without a complete skull, plus a partial second skull. Size estimates carry more uncertainty than for better-documented giants.
Position of this animal’s known range across 252 million years of the Mesozoic and beyond.
99-95 million years ago
Giganotosaurus is one of the most searched giant predatory dinosaurs after T. rex.
Its fossil record is much narrower than its pop-culture footprint.
The page pairs well with Carcharodontosaurus and Spinosaurus comparison intent.
Ruben Dario Carolini, an amateur fossil hunter, discovered the partial skeleton in the Candeleros Formation of Neuquen Province in 1993. Rodolfo Coria and Leonardo Salgado published the formal description in 1995, naming it after Carolini. The find received wide attention because it rivalled T. rex in size while belonging to a completely different group. A partial second skull described in 1998 suggested at least two individuals are represented in the record.
Animals known from the same deposits and time as Giganotosaurus.
Argentinosaurus
A titanosaur sauropod of enormous size from overlapping deposits, possibly the largest prey animal any theropod has ever faced.
Limaysaurus
A rebbachisaurid sauropod from the same Patagonian deposits.
Mapusaurus
A closely related carcharodontosaurid found in a bonebed that has been interpreted as possible evidence of group behavior.
Other members of Carcharodontosauridae.
Carcharodontosaurus
The African equivalent and closest major relative, filling the same apex predator role in the Cenomanian of North Africa.
Allosaurus
A more distant Jurassic relative in the same broader allosauroid group.
Mapusaurus
A Patagonian carcharodontosaurid from slightly later deposits, possibly related to group predation on large sauropods.
Pins show selected fossil records for Giganotosaurus; use them as modern discovery evidence, not a complete range map. Modern fossil discovery map: pins show where selected fossil and specimen records were found today, not ancient Earth positions. What does this mean?
Specimen evidence
No open specimen media or embeddable model assets are available in the local enrichment data yet.
Giganotosaurus is represented here by selected fossil records from patagonia, argentina, especially candeleros formation context in the current atlas. Fossil Atlas maps those records as modern discovery locations.
No. The map shows modern fossil discovery locations from selected records. Ancient habitat and paleogeographic reconstructions are separate questions.
The current Fossil Atlas records include Candeleros. Formation coverage depends on the selected dataset and may not be complete.
Yes. Use the expedition card generator to turn the Giganotosaurus map and specimen profile into a shareable card.
Selected fossil records from PBDB and museum biodiversity aggregators. This is not a complete fossil count by country; source labels and confidence notes help distinguish canonical paleobiology records from specimen-media records.
Reconstruction images are labeled illustrations and do not represent fossil evidence. Size, speed, and bite-force figures are typical published estimates and remain subject to revision as new specimens are described.
Maps use curated PBDB, museum, and specimen-source records with visible caveats.
Pins show where fossils were found or reported today, not exact ancient habitat positions.
Artwork is labeled separately from specimen photos, maps, and source records.
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