Paleontologists find new sauropod species in Argentina with rare complete sacrum
An Australian curator and Argentine paleontologist discovered a new sauropod species with the region's first complete sacrum.
In 2025, Dr Matthew McCurry of the Australian Museum and Dr José Luis Carballido, an Argentine paleontologist, visited Paso de Indios in Argentina. They dug up a sauropod, a giant plant-eating dinosaur with a long neck and small head.
The dinosaur lived 110 to 115 million years ago. It lived in a humid forest near a braided stream.
The excavation found a 1.6-metre femur, tail segments, limbs and most of the pelvis. Most importantly, they found a complete sacrum, the triangular bone connecting the spine to the pelvis.
This was the first complete sauropod sacrum ever found in the region. The bones suggest this is a previously unknown early relative of Patagotitan, a candidate for Earth's largest land animal.
Complete fossil skeletons are rare, making this find especially valuable for understanding how these giant animals evolved.
- 2025
- Excavation year
- 110 to 115 million years ago
- Dinosaur age
- 1.6 metres
- Femur length
- Paso de Indios, Argentina
- Location
Why it mattersComplete fossil skeletons are rare. This discovery gives clues about how the largest land animals ever evolved.
AustraliaAn Australian Museum curator led part of the research, and the dinosaur will feature in the Dinosaurs of Patagonia exhibition touring Australian museums.
