Patagotitan mayorum is a titanosaur from the Lognkosauria family. In contention for the largest dinosaur (with Argentinosaurus and Dreadnoughtus), it is a quadrupedal sauropod with four thick legs, has a relatively small head, long neck, large body, and a long tail.
Patagotitan would have lived in the Early Cretaceous floodplains of what is now central Chubut Province in Argentina. The Lognkosauria family of titanosaurs contains the largest species of sauropod (and dinosaur) known.
The holotype consists of a partial skeleton, without a skull. It was discovered in 2010 by farmer Aureliano Hernandez at La Flecha Ranch in central Chubut Province, and was reported to researchers in 2012. Eight expeditions were carried out from 2012 to 2015 to excavate the holotype and paratypes. The different specimens are preserved in slightly different periods of rock formation, implying that different groups of Patagotitan died in this area at different times. There are ten paratypes in total:
Seven of the paratypes are single leg bones from different individuals. An eighth paratype is a tooth, and a ninth is a vertebra. The tenth paratype is a partial skeleton; the most complete of the paratypes, but less complete than the holotype. The paratypes combined with the holotype can be used to build one of the most complete titanosaur skeletons known.
The name Patagotitan comes from the Patagonia region where it was discovered, and the mythological Greek titans, known for their size and power. Mayorum is to honour the Mayo family, who own the La Flecha ranch, and who were very welcoming to the researchers during their multiple expeditions.
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