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'Biggest dinosaur ever' discovered
BBC ^ | 16 May 2014 | James Morgan

Posted on 05/17/2014 10:54:58 AM PDT by Izzy Dunne

Based on its huge thigh bones, it was 40m (130ft) long and 20m (65ft) tall.

Weighing in at 77 tonnes, it was as heavy as 14 African elephants, and seven tonnes heavier than the previous record holder, Argentinosaurus.

Scientists believe it is a new species of titanosaur - an enormous herbivore dating from the Late Cretaceous period.

A local farm worker first stumbled on the remains in the desert near La Flecha, about 250km (135 miles) west of Trelew, Patagonia.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: bigasaurus; dinosaur; dinosaurs; gigantisaur; godsgravesglyphs; holycrapasaur; paleontology
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To: Izzy Dunne

My four yr old son is going to be crestfallen. His favorite TV shows presented to him, using the most awe-struck impressive tones, Bracciosaurus as THE BIGGEST! AWESOMEST! EVER! Since then Argentinasaurus has come to light and he denies denies denies! This will shatter him...


61 posted on 05/17/2014 3:47:21 PM PDT by TalBlack (Evil doesn't have a day job.)
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To: JimSEA

A little less embibing please!


62 posted on 05/17/2014 4:02:01 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: JimSEA

The four bone FRAGMENT fact is from Leakey’s own published works.


63 posted on 05/17/2014 4:08:38 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: editor-surveyor

That the best you can do? Call me a drunken liar. I put up verifiable information and you call names. Really classy.


64 posted on 05/17/2014 6:02:53 PM PDT by JimSEA
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To: editor-surveyor

;-)

Nah. I just read the article where the archeologist said that the ginormous beast was a herbivore. Who am I to question someone who knows his stuff?

Yes. I’m really old.


65 posted on 05/17/2014 6:42:28 PM PDT by TheOldLady
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To: fieldmarshaldj; sickoflibs; NFHale; BillyBoy; AuH2ORepublican; Clintonfatigued; GOPsterinMA; ...

They finally dug up Helen Thomas’s prom date!


66 posted on 05/17/2014 10:24:27 PM PDT by Impy (RED=COMMUNIST, NOT REPUBLICAN)
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To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; decimon; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...
That photo of the man prone and parallel to one of the fossilized bones reminds me of the story from early on after the Spanish conquest of Mexico, in which the leg bone of a "giant" was brought in and amazed the Spaniards. Thanks Izzy Dunne.

67 posted on 05/18/2014 6:54:12 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: Impy; All

“shutters”


68 posted on 05/18/2014 8:02:29 AM PDT by GOPsterinMA (Khent is not stable... be advised...)
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To: GOPsterinMA

:::shudders:::


69 posted on 05/18/2014 8:18:36 AM PDT by Max in Utah (A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within.)
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To: Izzy Dunne

Since the previous record holder of largest dino was also found in Patagonia, can we assume the place was full of big Dinos?

Which brings up the question of why? Was Patagonia a dino heaven of sorts at the time? Or did they retreat there from a threat to the north such as ice or fire or lack of forage.


70 posted on 05/18/2014 8:31:39 AM PDT by wildbill (D)
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To: Max in Utah

Hey, it was early...:)

Thanks!


71 posted on 05/18/2014 8:50:41 AM PDT by GOPsterinMA (Khent is not stable... be advised...)
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To: JimSEA

Verifiable propaganda.
.


72 posted on 05/18/2014 1:07:43 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: editor-surveyor

“The constructed “Lucy” out of four small fragments of bone found in four separate holes.”

When you say ‘four’, what you actually mean is 40% of the skeleton, right? I’d hate to think you were deliberately lying.


73 posted on 05/19/2014 4:04:32 AM PDT by Natufian (t)
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To: publius911; editor-surveyor; JimSEA; Izzy Dunne; SunkenCiv; CodeToad; Uncle Chip; BereanBrain; ...
Any serious scientist is a natural born skeptic, who questions everything, and won't take anything “on faith”.
But they do accept, however grudgingly, data and hypotheses which satisfy scientific rules and assumptions.
And that is the case with this particularly large dino-fossil — similar to others from more complete skeletons, it's fair to suppose that animals’ appearance and behavior were also similar.
Of course, few firm conclusions can be drawn from one bone.

As for the age of this fossil (it's not still bone), there are several tests, radiometric and otherwise, which can help narrow down the time frame.
None of those tests suggest anything more recent than Cretaceous Age over 65 million years ago.

Of course, our science-deniers (they are not “skeptics”) have a long list of bogus “facts” they like to throw out on these threads, to confuse the unwary and make science appear less scientific than it is.

Some of us enjoy pointing out errors in science-deniers’ claims.

74 posted on 05/19/2014 6:22:20 AM PDT by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective....)
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To: SunkenCiv; Tolerance Sucks Rocks; NormsRevenge; SierraWasp; Marine_Uncle; Fred Nerks

Clearly the Globe needs more CO2 so we can get more Greenery to feed our beef cattle.,...bigger steaks ....yummy!!


75 posted on 05/19/2014 8:37:56 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: BroJoeK

I have 2 degrees in Science.

Science is ALWAYS in flux, as new information has to be accounted for.

It is something like elastic. A theory is held, and generally accepted. Meanwhile, facts pile up that contravene that theory, but are derided, or ignored. This continues until well past the point where it is obvious to the unbiased observer that the original supposition is wrong. (This is due to human nature being resistant to change).

The point is that Scientists who are correct have been (over hundreds of years) derided as quacks when in fact they were correct. Take a look at any biography of Pasteur. He is pivotal in the advancement of Vaccination and Pasteurization, and the germ/virus theory.

Did you know at the time Pasteur was derided as a quack? He was in fact, disbarred from the leading Scientific Society at the time! His crime? Disagreeing with the “Established Fact” of the Theory of Spontaneous Generation. His experiments absolutely, on a reputable basis, destroyed the theory of Spontaneous Generation. You see, his Pasteurization process could not work if, according to SG, life would just “spring up” again in the sealed jar.

As silly as it sounds, the whole of science believed in spontaneous generation, that in effect, horse hairs could turn into worms.

Pasteur took the news of disbarment, and then set about making millions on his Pasteurization process. Also, he developed vaccinations that saved millions of lives.

So much for “settled science”.....If you are a true scientist, there is no “settled science”.

We are living in an age where this sort of political persecution is popular again - nobody wants to discuss facts/observations they want to paint their opponent as a quack and thereby dismiss the argument.

This does NOT serve the purpose of Science.

As to the age of bones, let me ask a single question now.

How do collagen and red blood cells survive in situ intact and viable (i.e. dead, but not mineralized) inside bones that have been radiocarbon dated to 70, 80, 90 Million years?

When I get an answer (even an attempt to answer) that question, then I will concede that radio carbon dating is correct.....As for now, I trust something I can see with my eyes and a microscope.

In other words, I do not think tissue can exist temperature for tens of millions of years. As to what this implies, make your own theory.

See what happens to real scientists when they report repeatable observations. (60 Minutes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji2cvuJ1mYg


76 posted on 05/19/2014 1:09:48 PM PDT by BereanBrain
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To: null and void

Did it ride around on one of those electric carts in walmart?


77 posted on 05/19/2014 1:10:29 PM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: publius911

What the animals diet was.
What he had for dinner.
The social structure.
The adoption of socialist hierarchy in their society.

How they nurtured their offspring.
How the females were granted equal rights.
How all dinosaurs were equal, and none were more equal than others.
How often they trimmed their nails...


And all this from a tooth fragment! Isn’t “science” great?


78 posted on 05/19/2014 1:11:42 PM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

I agree with your evaluation in post #75. More CO2, bigger juicy steaks to chump on. :)


79 posted on 05/19/2014 1:45:47 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle (Galt level is not far away......)
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To: BereanBrain
BereanBrain: "How do collagen and red blood cells survive in situ intact and viable (i.e. dead, but not mineralized) inside bones that have been radiocarbon dated to 70, 80, 90 Million years?

When I get an answer (even an attempt to answer) that question, then I will concede that radio carbon dating is correct.....As for now, I trust something I can see with my eyes and a microscope."

Like I said, there is a long list of bogus "facts" which science-deniers like yourself post on these threads to confuse the unwary in hopes of discrediting science itself.
The truth of this matter is that there are any number of reports of ancient life surviving into modern times.
One that comes to mind as especially credible is apparently dead bacteria buried for hundreds of millions of years in underground salt deposits, which when water is added immediately come back to life and happily continue just where they left off, before their "long winter's nap".
Another were reports of Jurassic Park style DNA found in amber incrusted insects.
Another were reports of dinosaur collagen found, iirc, in "Sue".

What all of these reports have in common is, they are all disputed, and in the case of Jurassic Park style DNA, thoroughly debunked.
But they do suggest that under certain, very ideal natural conditions, some basic organic material may survive millions of years.

But just so we're clear on this point: no shred of ancient DNA has ever been recovered older than, say, Neanderthals -- circa 40,000 years ago.

As for your fervent desire to deny the science of radiometric dating, that can only be a function of your anti-science beliefs, and has nothing to do with Louie Pasteur's 19th century scientific discoveries -- all of which he proved to the satisfaction of the many scientists who repeated his experiments.

None of your anti-science claims has ever been "proved" to anyone's satisfaction.

80 posted on 05/19/2014 4:10:51 PM PDT by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective....)
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