The titanosaur Patagotitan mayorum is a big deal—literally, the biggest dinosaur that scientists have discovered to date. This long-necked, plant-eating dinosaur lived over 100 million years ago in what is now Patagonia, Argentina.
Named Máximo, meaning “maximum” or “most” in Spanish, our titanosaur cast reaches 122 feet across Stanley Field Hall on our main floor and stands 28 feet tall at the head. Modeled from fossil bones excavated in Argentina, this cast conveys the sheer size of the biggest animal ever to live. (It’s longer than a blue whale!) Patagotitan weighed about 70 tons in life—that’s as much as 10 African elephants, like the two specimens on display next to Máximo.
The exhibition is presented in both English and Spanish. La exhibición está presentada en inglés y español.
A discovery of titanic proportions
The Mayo family farm near La Flecha, Argentina, became the site of epic buried treasure when a rancher stumbled upon a bone in the desert terrain. Scientists from the Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio came in to investigate and soon realized the magnitude of this discovery. Paleontologists excavated over 130 fossils from at least six different individual dinosaurs—all the same type of enormous sauropod—including an eight-foot-long femur and most parts of a (very long) spine.
Scientists officially described the titanosaur as a new species and named it in 2017, honoring both the Patagonia region and the Mayo family with Patagotitan mayorum.
Our titanosaur cast is based on these fossilized bones, giving a realistic sense of this behemoth’s scale as dinosaurs reached new heights during the Cretaceous Period.
A scientist working to excavate titanosaur fossils in Argentina brushes off the femur prior to wrapping it in plaster for transport out of the field.
© (c) Field Museum
Exhibition Highlights
Come face-to-face with the largest dinosaur that ever lived.
Stroll under and around the cast
Find your favorite selfie spot with the world's biggest dinosaur
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Acknowledgments
Máximo the Titanosaur is part of the Griffin Dinosaur Experience, made possible by the generous support of Kenneth C. Griffin.
