⭐ Bruhathkayosaurus

What is a Bruhathkayosaurus?

According to the fossil remains found on Bruhathkayosaurus matleyi It was one of the largest dinosaurs that ever existed. What is known about it is from only a few bones, an ilium, two pelvic bones, a forearm radius, some caudal vertebrae, part of a femur and the tibia.

This genus was discovered in 1987 in the Kallamedu Formation in southern India by paleontologists PM Yadagiri and Krishnan Ayyasami. In the initial analysis of its remains, it was assigned to theropods. But later they were classified as a member of the Titanosauria family.

Bruhathkayosaurus discovery

Since his appointment in 1989, the discussion on the gender of Bruhathkayosaurus It is a mystery that has even reached mythological dimensions. As we mentioned before, in its first description it was thought to be a theropod.

But studies that were carried out shortly after indicated that it was actually a titanosaurid sauropodwhich would have enormous dimensions. The tibia of this specimen apparently measured 2 meters in length, which was 29% larger than the tibia of Argentinosaurus, which measured approximately 1.55 meters.

Because of this, it would possibly be one of the largest dinosaurs in the natural history of the planet.

Unfortunately these remains were lost when they were washed away by a monsoon. Added to this is the fact that it was not possible to describe diagnostic characteristics in the initial description.

The only representation available of what the original fossils look like is in the form of line drawings that were made of them. This only leaves the claim that it was large in size, but this is something that has not been proven. That is why it is actually the most dubious specimen of all the dinosaur genera.

It is not the first time that fossil remains from a discovery have disappeared due to misfortune. In 1878 Edward Drinker Cope named Amphicoelias from the description of its unusually large vertebrae and limbs, since it was a specimen similar to the smaller Diplodocus.

Many specialists questioned the validity of Amphicoelias, claiming that Cope could have made a mistake in measuring the fossils, for example.

It has also been thought that this was due to a storage error caused by the large number of fossils Cope was working with. He was one of the two main figures of the legendary Bone War. The fossils were collected and stored in such large quantities that paleontologists are still reviewing and cataloging them today.

In the case of Bruhathkayosaurus the available information is even more uncertain. It is not unusual for remains to be lost and destroyed due to environmental issues, before they are unearthed.

But when fossil remains suggest it was one of the largest dinosaurs in natural history, many question whether they actually existed. Speculation arose that the deeply long shin bones of Bruhathkayosaurus could have been fossilized tree trunks.

Line drawings and size estimates can vary greatly. It has been assigned 30 to 40 meters long. Its height is believed to be 8 to 10 meters and its body volume would be 139 to 200 tons, even a little more..

What does Bruhathkayosaurus mean?

The name comes from the Sanskrit term Bruhathkayaformed by brhat What does it mean huge or heavy? and kaya What does it mean body. Added to this is saurus which in Greek is lizard.

Therefore it translates as heavy bodied lizard. The epithet matleyi It was chosen to honor paleontologist Charles Alfred Matley, who was responsible for discovering numerous fossils in India.

The Titanosauria family

The Titanosauria group was abundant in species and forms of sauropod dinosaurs. They lived mostly during the Cretaceous period, being the dominant sauropods. It was the last group to become extinct during its era, along with all other non-avian dinosaurs, 66 million years ago.

Its fossils have been found on all continents. Almost 70 genera have been classified, which makes up a little more than a third of the sauropod species known to date.

In line with what is known about sauropods, they had a barrel-shaped body and a small head in relation to their anatomy. Some genera of Titanosauria had bony skin plates or osteoderms with which they protected and defended themselves.

Eggs and nests were found that gave clues about their reproduction and development. The group’s name was based on its large size and the gods of Greek mythology, referring to the titans..

It included some of the terrestrial specimens of very enormous size such as the Patagotitan, Argentinosaurus, Paralilitan and Dreadnoughtus. Although curiously it is also made up of dwarf species such as Magyarosaurus.

Many of the genera have been improperly documented due to the irregularity in their fossil record. Anatomically connected skull bones and residual skeletal parts have rarely been found.

Family relationships have been a source of discussion among experts since 2001 and still generate controversy in the scientific community today. Together with the brachiosaurids and other related genera, the dinosaurs of the Titanosauria family make up the group of Titanosauriformes, which in turn are part of the Macronaria group.

It is believed that sauropods, who were the largest land animals of all time, had volumes of around 15, 60 or even 100 tons. Very few species in this group weighed less than 5 tons..

Especially giant forms evolved independently, repeatedly in various lineages. This included basal forms such as Turiasaurus, diplodocos such as Supersaurus, and brachiosaurids such as Sauroposeidon.

This is independently added to various forms of the Titanoauria. The largest known today includes Argentinosaurus, which had a length of 30 meters, and is believed to have weighed between 60 and 88 tons.

The Egyptian Paralititan was 26 meters long, and even a little more than that. It also weighed around 50 tons. Other species such as Antarctosaurus giganteus They had an estimated volume of 60 tons.

However, a factor to consider is that the formulas used could also overestimate the true weight of these animals. Other allometric formulas instead result in body masses of 30 to 40 tons.

Many of the largest sauropods are known only from very fragmentary remains. In the case of Futalognkosaurus, which is thought to have measured 30 meters in length, its weight can be predicted by 27%.

Dreadnoughtus, of which we have more than 70% of its structure, with an approximate length of 26 meters and a weight of 30 tons, is the most complete giant sauropod. Possibly the fossil specimen was not fully grown, since the scapula had not yet developed along with the coracoid.

And strangely enough, the group also contained small sauropods that are not popular. Like the Romanian Magyarosaurus that reached a length of about five meters. It would be a case of island dwarfism, from when Europe was an archipelago during the Cretaceous.

An example of this is the Rapetosaurus of Madagascar and the Ampelosaurus of Western Europe, which also inhabited island formations.

Characteristics of the Bruhathkayosaurus

Despite not having much fossil evidence, scientists have been able to deduce its characteristics, based on related species. Keep reading below to learn a little more about this species.

Classification

Bruhathkayosaurus was originally classified as a theropod in an uncertain position or incertae sedis. Later, in 1995, a review was carried out and it was shown that it was actually a sauropod Titanosaurus. Later it was classified as an indeterminate sauropod or as a nomen dubium.

Feeding

Like all sauropod dinosaurs, Bruhathkayosaurus was herbivorous. Fossilized dung remains of titanosaurs have been found, which contained silicified plant parts.

This was indicative that they maintained a broad and non-selective diet. This possibly included conifers and cycads, monocotyledonous pieces of palms and grasses, which were curiously similar to rice and bamboo today.

Speed

There are no precise calculations or studies that establish a possible speed for Bruhathkayosaurus. However, specialists think that it moved very slowly, to save energy and due to its enormous weight.

Life expectancy

There is no record or study on the life expectancy of Bruhathkayosaurus. But based on the development and life span of its sauropod relatives, it is estimated that it lived between 80 and 100 years.

When he lived

Bruhathkayosaurus lived during the last phase of the Cretaceous period between 70 and 66 million years ago.

When did Bruhathkayosaurus become extinct?

Fossil remains indicate that Bruhathkayosaurus disappeared 66 million years ago. This places it within the mass disappearance event that ended the age of the dinosaurs.

The theory that explains why 75% of existing species disappeared rapidly is that of the fall of an asteroid in what is now known as the Gulf of Mexico.

This was stated in 1980 by the Nobel physicist Luis Walter Álvarez and his son Walter. After studying the Chicxulub volcano, they published a theory based on the historical layer of iridium clay that would have been caused by the asteroid falling to Earth.

The consequences of these events devastated the surrounding area and caused secondary effects that devastated the natural life that had developed until then.