Discovered a new giant dinosaur twice the size of an elephant

A new giant dinosaur has been discovered in South Africa.

This dinosaur, scientific name Ledumahadi mafube , weighs 12 tons and is about 4m high - making it the largest land animal on Earth 200 million years ago.

To evaluate its startling size, it is almost twice the size of a big African elephant!

Researchers from the University of Witwatersrand have discovered the remains of this dinosaur in the Free State Province of South Africa.

Part of the leg - (Photo from Dr. Pia Viglietti).

Development rings show that this dinosaur individual has reached adulthood - (Photo from University of Wits (.

Analysis revealed that Ledumahadi mafube had relatives close to the lizard foot dinosaurs, including Brontosaurus.

Ledumahadi mafube is the first of the true Jurassic giant lizard foot dinosaurs - (Photo from University of Wits).

Dr. Blair McPhee, research director, said: 'The first thing that surprised me about this animal is the incredible hardness of the limbs. It is about the same size as the giant lizard foot dinosaur, but while these animals' hands and feet are usually quite slender, Ledumahadi's arms and legs are incredibly thick. For me, this shows that the road to giants in lizard foot dinosaurs is not easy, and the way these animals handle common problems in life, such as eating and moving. moving, more active in the group than previously thought '.

The researchers measured the size of the legs and arms, indicating that Ledumahadi traveled on all four limbs.

Meanwhile, an analysis of fossil bone tissue revealed that when dying, this dinosaur individual has matured.