Ingentia | |
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An artist's illustration of Ingentia prima | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Superorder: | Dinosauria |
Order: | Saurischia |
Suborder: | †Sauropodomorpha |
Family: | †Lessemsauridae Apaldetti et al., 2018 |
Genus: | †Ingentia |
Type species | |
†Ingentia prima Apaldetti, 2018 | |
Referred species | |
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Ingentia ("first giant") is a genus of sauropodomorph dinosaur. Described in July 2018, it has changed palaeontologists' understanding of exactly when gigantism in dinosaurs first evolved. Before the discovery of this genus, it was believed that huge species of dinosaur evolved in the early to the late Triassic.
Description
The type species Ingetia prima was named by Apaldetti in 2018, and translates to "the first to be huge" in Latin. Ingentia grew up to nine tonnes in weight, making it the largest prosauropod ever and the biggest dinosaur in the entire Triassic period three times bigger than the previous largest genus. Length estimates are between 26-33 feet (7.9-10 meters). The animal was a Herbivore like all known species of the sauropodomorpha of the triassic period and likely able to stand between its hind legs for a short period of time similiar to its cousin species, Plateosaurus.