A recently unearthed colossal dinosaur, stretching 98 feet in length, now bears the name of the Hindu deity Shiva, known as "The Destroyer," as it once roamed the lands of Argentina alongside other towering "megatitanosaurs" over 90 million years ago. This mammoth creature, dubbed Bustingorrytitan shiva, was meticulously reconstructed by scientists after its fossils were found in western Argentina last year. Collaborating with an artist, they've brought this Cretaceous titan to life through striking images and videos.
B. shiva ranks among the largest sauropods ever documented, boasting an estimated weight of approximately 74 tons (67 metric tons). New findings indicate the coexistence of at least two colossal titanosaurs—B. shiva's saltasauroids and Argentinosaurus' lognkosaurs—in North Patagonia during the mid-Cretaceous period (145 million to 66 million years ago). These massive creatures shared their habitat with smaller sauropods, as revealed in the study.
The genus name "Bustingorrytitan" honors farmer
Manuel Bustingorry, who stumbled upon the dinosaur's remains on her property,
blending it with "titan," a nod to the giants of Greek mythology. As
it thrived during a period of both extinction and renewal, the species name
"Shiva" pays homage to the supreme deity of Shaivism, symbolizing
destruction and transformation within the universe.
You can read more about this new discovered species here at livescience.