Giganotosaurus

Name Origin

Giant Southern Lizard

Family

Carcharodontosauridae

Classification

Diapsida, Saurischia, Theropoda

Habitat (Discovery Location)

Argentina

Period

96 million years ago (Late Cretaceous)

Length

Approximately 13 meters

Weight

Approximately 6 to 8 tons

Diet

Carnivore (Meat-eater)

Description

Giganotosaurus was a large carnivorous dinosaur that lived in South America (modern-day Argentina) during the Late Cretaceous period.
Its name, which means “giant southern lizard” in ancient Greek, was given after the first fossil was discovered in 1993. Since then, it has been known as a contender for the title of the largest carnivorous dinosaur ever, alongside Tyrannosaurus and Spinosaurus.

Huge Body and a Storied Past

Upon its discovery, Giganotosaurus was estimated to be 14 meters long, surpassing Tyrannosaurus as the largest carnivorous dinosaur ever and attracting global attention.
However, there is a little-known story behind that estimate.

While a full Giganotosaurus skeleton was found, a large portion of its skull was missing.
The paleontologists at the time overestimated the size of the missing parts in their reconstruction, which led to an overinflated estimate of its body length.
This mistake was later corrected, and its length is now thought to be between 12 and 13 meters.

Still, with a skull measuring 1.5 meters, its body was robust and powerfully built.
It is still considered to be slightly larger than Tyrannosaurus (up to about 13m), and its massive presence continues to fascinate many people today.

Astonishing Hunting Ability and Social Behavior

Giganotosaurus was a true hunter, with three sharp claws on its forelimbs and a powerful jaw for attacking prey.
Its head is believed to have been up to 1.9 meters long.

In the vast lands of South America, Giganotosaurus lived alongside gigantic sauropods in the same period and location.
It may have been one of the few theropods capable of taking down such enormous prey.

It is also theorized that it hunted in packs.
The discovery of at least seven skeletons of closely related large theropods found together is considered strong evidence that they engaged in cooperative hunting in small groups.
While Giganotosaurus had high combat ability on its own, by working together in a group, it is believed to have preyed on super-sized dinosaurs like Argentinosaurus.

It is believed to have preyed on super-sized dinosaurs like Argentinosaurus

Reasons for Its Popularity and Unfortunate Fate

Due to the downward revision of its body length, Giganotosaurus has now ceded the title of the largest carnivorous dinosaur to Spinosaurus (over 15m).
The estimates of its true length vary among researchers, and the definitive “king” has yet to be determined.

However, despite this unfortunate history, the popularity of Giganotosaurus has not waned; in fact, it has grown.
Its romantic presence as a gigantic carnivorous dinosaur has captured the hearts of many people, and it continues to be featured as a star in various media.

Note

There was a time when some sauropods were referred to by the name “Gigantosaurus.”
Please be aware that this can be easily confused with Giganotosaurus.

Jurassic
Park / World Featured Dinosaur

Role in the Film (Spoiler Alert!)

Appearance in Jurassic World: Dominion
Making its series debut in Jurassic World Dominion, the Giganotosaurus is the largest carnivorous dinosaur in history. Boasting a massive body surpassing even the Tyrannosaurus, and affectionately referred to as the "Giga" in the film, this dinosaur was portrayed as the absolute apex predator of the Biosyn Sanctuary.

The Giganotosaurus features a body color based in blacks and grays, with a row of spines running down its back. Its head is narrow, and unlike the Tyrannosaurus, it possesses slit-shaped pupils.

Its strength is the real deal. In the Prologue (set in prehistoric times), it fought and defeated the original Tyrannosaurus—the genetic ancestor of "Rexy." Even after being resurrected in the modern era, it reigned as the supreme predator in the Biosyn Sanctuary, superior to the Tyrannosaurus.

In the film, it confronts the Tyrannosaurus over a deer carcass (which had been sent flying by a Therizinosaurus) and drives the T-Rex away with overwhelming force. Later, it attacks Owen and his group. During this encounter, it eats a burning giant locust and recovers instantly after a torch is thrown into its mouth, suggesting it may possess heat resistance.

According to Director Colin Trevorrow, he wanted to give this species an atmosphere similar to the "Joker" from the Batman series, portraying it with a unique character rather than just as a simple wild beast.

Surprisingly, however, despite its position as a villain and a massive carnivorous dinosaur, the Giganotosaurus in this film does not eat—or even kill—a single human. This makes it one of the rarest existences in the entire series.

In the story's climax, it faces off against the Tyrannosaurus (Rexy) once again. It initially wins, pinning Rexy down with enough force to nearly snap her neck. However, while it is distracted fighting the intervening Therizinosaurus, the recovered Tyrannosaurus shoves it, impaling the Giganotosaurus on the Therizinosaurus's long claws and killing it.

This shocking demise may have been an homage to the death of the Indoraptor in the previous film, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, or perhaps a directorial choice to recreate the collaborative battle style seen against the villainous Indominus rex in Jurassic World.

Information regarding its gender is conflicting. While Owen refers to it as a "female" in the film's dialogue, a panel description at the "Jurassic World POP UP" event stated it was a "male," suggesting the setting varies depending on the medium.