How big was Dreadnoughtus schrani?

Dreadnoughtus schrani was about 26 m long. It stood about 3.5–4.2 m tall at the hips. It weighed about 22–59.3 t. (Lacovara et al. 2014; Paul 2016)

When did Dreadnoughtus schrani live?

Dreadnoughtus schrani lived during the Late Cretaceous, about 84–66 million years ago. (Lacovara et al. 2014; Paleobiology Database: Dreadnoughtus occurrences 2026)

Where have Dreadnoughtus schrani fossils been found?

Fossils of Dreadnoughtus schrani have been found in Cerro Fortaleza Formation (Santa Cruz Province) and Argentina. (Lacovara et al. 2014; Bates et al. 2015)

What did Dreadnoughtus schrani eat?

Dreadnoughtus schrani was a herbivore. (Lacovara et al. 2014; Bates et al. 2015)

Who named Dreadnoughtus schrani, and when?

Dreadnoughtus schrani was described by Kenneth J. Lacovara et al. in 2014. (Lacovara et al. 2014)

Was Dreadnoughtus schrani in Jurassic Park?

Yes. Dreadnoughtus schrani appears in Jurassic World Dominion (2022). A giant long-necked herbivore seen several times in Dominion. It was huge, but its first headline mass has since been revised well downward. (Wikipedia: Dinosaurs in Jurassic Park 2026; Bates et al. 2015)

Life reconstruction of the giant titanosaur Dreadnoughtus schrani from the Cerro Fortaleza Formation of Argentina.Nobu Tamura email:nobu.tamura@yahoo.com http://spinops.blogspot.com/, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (unmodified except resizing)CC BY-SA 4.0 (unmodified)Source

Dreadnoughtus schrani

Pronounced dred-NAW-tus SHRAH-nye

Titanosauria

A giant titanosaur from the Late Cretaceous of southern Patagonia and the most complete giant sauropod known, with about 70% of its skeleton below the head. The type individual was still growing when it died.

Giant
Long necked
Quadrupedal

Compare

Period: Cretaceous· Campanian
Diet: Herbivore
Length: 26 m
Mass: 22,000–59,300 kg
Location: Santa Cruz Province, Argentina

Quick answers

How big was Dreadnoughtus schrani?: Dreadnoughtus schrani was about 26 m long. It stood about 3.5–4.2 m tall at the hips. It weighed about 22–59.3 t. (Lacovara et al. 2014; Paul 2016)
When did Dreadnoughtus schrani live?: Dreadnoughtus schrani lived during the Late Cretaceous, about 84–66 million years ago. (Lacovara et al. 2014; Paleobiology Database: Dreadnoughtus occurrences 2026)
Where have Dreadnoughtus schrani fossils been found?: Fossils of Dreadnoughtus schrani have been found in Cerro Fortaleza Formation (Santa Cruz Province) and Argentina. (Lacovara et al. 2014; Bates et al. 2015)
What did Dreadnoughtus schrani eat?: Dreadnoughtus schrani was a herbivore. (Lacovara et al. 2014; Bates et al. 2015)
Who named Dreadnoughtus schrani, and when?: Dreadnoughtus schrani was described by Kenneth J. Lacovara et al. in 2014. (Lacovara et al. 2014)
Was Dreadnoughtus schrani in Jurassic Park?: Yes. Dreadnoughtus schrani appears in Jurassic World Dominion (2022). A giant long-necked herbivore seen several times in Dominion. It was huge, but its first headline mass has since been revised well downward. (Wikipedia: Dinosaurs in Jurassic Park 2026; Bates et al. 2015)

On this page

dred-NAW-tus SHRAH-nye

Period: Cretaceous84–66 Ma
Diet: Herbivore
Length: 26 m
Mass: 22–59.3 t
Location: Argentina
Classification: Titanosauria
Described: 2014, Kenneth J. Lacovara et al.

Overview

Dreadnoughtus schrani lived in southern Patagonia, Argentina, in the Late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian). Kenneth Lacovara and colleagues named it in 2014 from two skeletons found on the east bank of the Río La Leona in Santa Cruz Province; they are kept at the Museo Padre Molina in Río Gallegos.

The holotype preserves about 45% of all the bones of a titanosaur skeleton and up to 70% of the postcranial elements, far more than any other giant titanosaur (Argentinosaurus: about 5%). Its bone histology shows the animal was still growing.

The describers estimated 59.3 tonnes from limb-bone circumference. Volumetric models by Bates et al. (2015) found this implausible and gave 22 to 38 tonnes, and Paul (2019) put it around 30 tonnes, so its mass is a textbook example of how much methods differ.

Name meaning

"Dreadnought", Old English for "fearing nothing", for its size and after early-20th-century battleships; schrani honours Adam Schran, who supported the research (Lacovara et al. 2014).

Biology & evidence

What scientists think about how this animal lived, and how strong the evidence for each idea is.

Growth

The Dreadnoughtus type specimen was still growing when it died.
Evidence level: Strong evidence
Its bone lacks the remodelled outer layer seen in fully grown sauropods.
Evidence for / against · 1
Evidence for
- Histology · Dreadnoughtus humerus histology
  Unremodelled fibrolamellar bone in the outer cortex of the humerus.
  Specimen: MPM-PV 1156

Other

Dreadnoughtus is the most complete giant titanosaur known.
Evidence level: Direct evidence
About 45% of the skeleton is known, against 15% for Futalognkosaurus and 5% for Argentinosaurus.
Evidence for / against · 1
Evidence for
- Biomechanical model · Dreadnoughtus limb-scaling mass estimate
  Humeral and femoral circumferences give about 59.3 t.
  Specimen: MPM-PV 1156
Dreadnoughtus weighed about 59 tonnes.
Evidence level: Disputed
The 59.3 t figure comes from a limb-bone equation. Volumetric models of the same skeleton give 22 to 38 t, and Paul (2019) about 30 t.
Evidence for / against · 2
Evidence for
- Biomechanical model · Dreadnoughtus limb-scaling mass estimate
  Humeral and femoral circumferences give about 59.3 t.
  Specimen: MPM-PV 1156
Evidence against
- Biomechanical model · Dreadnoughtus volumetric models
  Three volumetric reconstructions give 22.1, 27.7 and 38.2 t; masses above 40 t would need implausible densities and soft tissue.
  Specimen: MPM-PV 1156

Size

Length: 26 m
Height: 3.8 mpublished range 3.5–4.2 m
Mass: 22,000–59,300 kg

Dreadnoughtus schrani was about 26 m (85.3 ft) long, roughly 14.4 times the height of a 1.8 m adult human.

Timeline

Lived from about 84 to 66 million years ago (Ma), within the Mesozoic era (252–66 Ma).

Periods: Campanian (83.6–72.1 Ma), Maastrichtian (72.1–66 Ma), Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma)

Campanian-Maastrichtian, about 84-66 Ma (Lacovara et al. 2014); PBDB lists the collection as Campanian (83.6-72.2 Ma).

Location

Formations

Cerro Fortaleza Formation · Santa Cruz Province

Places

Map data: Natural Earth (public domain). Modern positions, not where the continents were then.

Cerro Fortaleza, east bank of the Río La Leona, Santa Cruz · Cerro Fortaleza Formation · Santa Cruz Province · position approximate

These are the places where fossils have been found, not the full area where the animal lived.

Ecosystem

Lived in: Cerro Fortaleza

84–66 million years ago · floodplain

Late Cretaceous southern Patagonia, about 1,200 km south of the classic Neuquén dinosaur beds; little of the fauna has been described.

Classification

cladeDinosauria
cladeSaurischia
cladeSauropodomorpha
cladeSauropoda
cladeMacronaria
cladeTitanosauria
genusDreadnoughtus
speciesDreadnoughtus schrani

Taxonomic status: Valid

Fossil record

Composite image of the articulated tail vertebrae of Dreadnoughtus schrani.Kenneth Lacovara (uploaded by ArcaneHalveKnot), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (unmodified except resizing)CC BY-SA 4.0 (unmodified)Source

Specimens
Catalog number	Status	Institution	Found
MPM-PV 1156	Holotype	Museo Regional Provincial Padre Manuel Jesús Molina (MPM)	—
MPM-PV 3546	Paratype	Museo Regional Provincial Padre Manuel Jesús Molina (MPM)	—

What has been found

Holotype: MPM-PV 1156

Preserved
Partial
Reconstructed
Unknown / not recorded

Holotype: MPM-PV 1156

Region by region (table)

Skeleton regions of Holotype: MPM-PV 1156
Region	State
Skull	Partial · Maxilla fragment.
Mandible	Unknown / not recorded
Teeth	Partial · One tooth.
Cervical vertebrae	Partial
Dorsal vertebrae	Partial
Sacrum	Preserved
Caudal vertebrae	Partial · 32 caudal vertebrae.
Ribs	Partial
Gastralia	Unknown / not recorded
Scapula / shoulder girdle	Preserved
Humerus	Preserved
Forearm (radius / ulna)	Preserved
Hand (manus)	Unknown / not recorded
Pelvis	Preserved
Femur	Preserved
Tibia / fibula	Preserved
Foot (pes)	Partial · Right metatarsals I-II and pedal ungual I only.

Paratype: MPM-PV 3546

Region by region (table)

Skeleton regions of Paratype: MPM-PV 3546
Region	State
Skull	Unknown / not recorded
Mandible	Unknown / not recorded
Teeth	Unknown / not recorded
Cervical vertebrae	Unknown / not recorded
Dorsal vertebrae	Unknown / not recorded
Sacrum	Preserved
Caudal vertebrae	Unknown / not recorded
Ribs	Unknown / not recorded
Gastralia	Unknown / not recorded
Scapula / shoulder girdle	Unknown / not recorded
Humerus	Unknown / not recorded
Forearm (radius / ulna)	Unknown / not recorded
Hand (manus)	Unknown / not recorded
Pelvis	Preserved
Femur	Preserved
Tibia / fibula	Unknown / not recorded
Foot (pes)	Unknown / not recorded

Skeletal reconstruction of Dreadnoughtus schrani with the recovered bones shown in white; scale bar 1 m.Kenneth Lacovara (uploaded by ArcaneHalveKnot), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (unmodified except resizing)CC BY-SA 4.0 (unmodified)Source

All specimens

Discovery

Year described: 2014
Described by: Kenneth J. Lacovara et al.
Type specimen: MPM-PV 1156

Paleontologist Kenneth J. Lacovara, who described Dreadnoughtus in 2014, with its skeleton in his laboratory.ArcaneHalveKnot, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (unmodified except resizing)CC BY-SA 4.0 (unmodified)Source

Discovery timeline

2014 · Formally described
Lacovara et al. name Dreadnoughtus schrani
The most complete giant titanosaur is named in Scientific Reports.
People: Kenneth J. Lacovara
2015 · Major study
Dreadnoughtus mass re-evaluated
Volumetric models cut the mass estimate to 22-38 t.
People: Karl T. Bates

In Jurassic Park & Jurassic World

Films

Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

On screen

A giant long-necked herbivore seen several times in Dominion.

Film vs fossils

It was huge, but its first headline mass has since been revised well downward.

Film titles are used for identification only. DinoDex is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Jurassic Park / Jurassic World franchise. All dinosaurs seen in the films

Sources

(2026). Paleobiology Database: Dreadnoughtus occurrences. The Paleobiology Database (paleobiodb.org), data service 1.2, accessed 2026-09-23. https://paleobiodb.org/data1.2/occs/list.txt?base_name=Dreadnoughtus&show=coords,paleoloc,strat,loc,ref&pgm=gplates (opens in a new tab)
(2026). Wikipedia: Dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaurs_in_Jurassic_Park (opens in a new tab)
Bates, K. T., Falkingham, P. L., Macaulay, S., Brassey, C. & Maidment, S. C. R. (2015). Downsizing a giant: re-evaluating Dreadnoughtus body mass. Biology Letters 11. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2015.0215 (opens in a new tab)
Lacovara, K. J., Lamanna, M. C., Ibiricu, L. M., Poole, J. C., Schroeter, E. R., Ullmann, P. V., Voegele, K. K., Boles, Z. M., et al. (2014). A gigantic, exceptionally complete titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from southern Patagonia, Argentina. Scientific Reports 4: 6196. doi:10.1038/srep06196 (opens in a new tab)
Paul, G. S. (2016). The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs (2nd edition). Princeton University Press.
Paul, G. S. (2019). Determining the largest known land animal: a critical comparison of differing methods for restoring the volume and mass of extinct animals. Annals of Carnegie Museum 85(4): 335-358. doi:10.2992/007.085.0403 (opens in a new tab)

Dreadnoughtus schrani

Quick answers