"Astoundingly huge" dinosaur skeleton unearthed in Argentina

CBS News ^ | September 4, 2014 | Agata Blaszczak-Boxe

[EveningStar]

Scientists have unearthed the skeleton of a previously unknown, massive dinosaur species that may be the largest land animal ever found.

The specimen named Dreadnoughtus schrani is exceptionally complete, with about 70 percent of its bones recovered. Scientists believe the creature, which lived about 77 million years ago, measured 85 feet (26 meters) long and weighed about 65 tons, heavier than a Boeing 737.

[Pollster1]

This might not quite make it for GGG, but it’s still interesting.

[rockinqsranch]

Isn’t that Nessie?

[Charles Martel]

I think that’s the one that Fred used to operate, down at the quarrey.

[TalBlack]

So, what? Is this a NEW one? When Argentinasaurus displaced megasaurus (or some damn thing) my 4 yr old son was devastated. Wait’ll the poor kid gets the news.

[Windflier]

I simply can’t imagine how anything that large could have ever walked on a planet with Earth’s gravity.

Per simple logic, gravity had to have been weaker in those times, or the planet itself was smaller.

[Windflier]

It had to be pushing the size limit of what's possible on land from the anatomical physics alone.

I was just saying the same thing. I've thought for some time now, that Earth's gravity had to have been weaker in that time, or the planet itself had to be smaller to support such gigantic beasts.

Those are heretical thoughts, I know, but nothing else makes sense to me.

[The Cajun]

Those are heretical thoughts, I know, but nothing else makes sense to me.

Think you're like me Flier, I find scientific anomalies that don't agree with standard thinking to be the most interesting things in science, be it in paleontology, physics, astronomy or archeology.
Things that make "The experts" scratch their heads or run away from :)

[Windflier]

I find scientific anomalies that don't agree with standard thinking to be the most interesting things in science

Oh man, don't get me started on OOPARTS (out of place artifacts). Now there's an area of science that's just chock full of heresy.

[MileHi]

The Unicorn Song

A long time ago, when the Earth was green
There was more kinds of animals than you’ve ever seen
They’d run around free while the Earth was being born
And the loveliest of all was the unicorn

There was green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you’re born
The loveliest of all was the unicorn

The Lord seen some sinning and it gave Him pain
And He says, “Stand back, I’m going to make it rain”
He says, “Hey Noah, I’ll tell you what to do
Build me a floating zoo,
and take some of those...

Green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you’re born
Don’t you forget My unicorns

Old Noah was there to answer the call
He finished up making the ark just as the rain started to fall
He marched the animals two by two
And he called out as they came through
Hey Lord,

I’ve got green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Some cats and rats and elephants, but Lord, I’m so forlorn
I just can’t find no unicorns”

And Noah looked out through the driving rain
Them unicorns were hiding, playing silly games
Kicking and splashing while the rain was falling
Oh, them silly unicorns

There was green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Noah cried, “Close the door because the rain is falling
And we just can’t wait for no unicorns”

The ark started moving, it drifted with the tide
The unicorns looked up from the rocks and they cried
And the waters came down and sort of floated them away
That’s why you never see unicorns to this very day

You’ll see green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you’re born
You’re never gonna see no unicorns

[New Lyrics]
Now you might think this is the ending to the song,
But I’ll have to tell you friends that in fact you’re wrong
You see, Unicorns are magical, so when the rain started pouring,
They grew themselves some wings and they took to soaring.

You’ll see green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
But if you’re looking for the unicorns, don’t be forlorn,
The second star to the right and straight on until morning.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Pollster1, a good one!

[Monkey Face]

“Frump.”

[BroJoeK]

Mastador1: "I know what caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, it was the liberal and gaia worshiping dinos that forced everyone to cut their C02 emissions and they destroyed their food source."

No, you don't understand, if you require giant dinosaurs to eliminate their CO2 emissions, there's only one option they can have -- so, how can I describe this without actually saying it?
Since 99% of dino-CO2 comes out the end of their digestive tract, they had to plug those, which caused CO2-rich gasses to accumulate inside, eventually exploding, thus: dino extinctions -- all because of global warming alarmists!

Do I need to spell it out more clearly? ;-)

Do I need a < /sarc > tag?

[BroJoeK]

The Cajun: "A walking whale. It had to be pushing the size limit of what's possible on land from the anatomical physics alone."

Windflier: "Per simple logic, gravity had to have been weaker in those times, or the planet itself was smaller."

Windflier: "Those are heretical thoughts, I know, but nothing else makes sense to me."

Here we go again...

Whole books have been written pro & con such lunatic ideas.
The "con" arguments take considerably more effort to understand, but I recommend it.

Here's the pro from 2010:

The Paradox of Large Dinosaurs (The New Science Book 2) [Kindle Edition]

And here is the con, from 2011:
Biology of the Sauropod Dinosaurs: Understanding the Life of Giants (Life of the Past) [Kindle Edition]

[SunkenCiv]

Hey, bees can’t fly. :’)

[Windflier]

Wassamatta - you don’t like science heretics?

[The Cajun]

I remember, way back when in school, where we were taught dinosaurs like the Brachiosaurus were the biggest land dinosaurs that could exist and they also had to live in swampy areas where water would help support their tremendous weight.
Well lookie here what we got, one nearly twice the weight of a Brachiosaurus that wasn't fully grown.
Have read articles about the atmospheric influence, gravitational influence, etc, etc.
I just find the arguments one way or the other interesting, but come right down to it, it's all just theorizing and fun to theorize to boot.

[The Cajun]

Wassamatta - you don’t like science heretics?

Well at least we ain't been called kooks..............Yet, LOL.

[BroJoeK]

Windflier: "Wassamatta - you don’t like science heretics?"

Hey, I love fantasy & sci-fi as much as the next guy -- Disney World, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Guardians of the Galaxy, all wonderful stuff, not a word of it true.

So what you're talking here is not "science heresy", it's not science period, it's make-believe fantasy.

Totally, nothing wrong with make-believe, just so long as you don't pretend it's real science.

So, you've read something suggesting these super-sized sauropods were "to big to walk on land"?
That's fine, now I'm suggesting a real science book (post #33) which will set your mind at ease on this subject.

The Cajun: "I remember, way back when in school, where we were taught dinosaurs like the Brachiosaurus were the biggest land dinosaurs that could exist and they also had to live in swampy areas where water would help support their tremendous weight."

Sure, and nothing today suggests those beasts did not live near rivers & lakes, but it also seems that some of them travelled overland, perhaps migrating in herds, and if you wish to learn the whole debate, then I suggest the book above.

[SunkenCiv]

The “too big” meme has been pushed by the internet’s own Ted Holden (a.k.a. Medved, and a number of other FR nicks, banned one by one, other than his current one) and suffers from starting with a conclusion and cherry picking (very little) data in support of it.

The idea of the largest dinos having to stand in water to support their overgrown bulk went out with the “bees can’t fly” meme.

Heresy in the sciences is a good thing, because — like Ted Holden — scientists pay lip service to testability, logic, etc, but many need to spend a couple of bucks and get bumperstickers that read, “my professor said, I believe it, and that settles it”.

[SunkenCiv]

LOL!