Brontosaurus Had An Older, Massive Cousin In South Africa

Bones Reveal The Brontosaurus Had An Older, Massive Cousin In South Africa

An artist’s reconstruction of Ledumahadi mafube, which means “a giant thunderclap at dawn,” foraging during the early Jurassic in South Africa. Viktor Radermacher, University of the Witwatersrand

Millions of years before the brontosaurus roamed the Earth, a massive relative was lumbering around South Africa.

Scientists think this early Jurassic dinosaur was, at the time, the largest land creature ever to have lived. And unlike the even bigger creatures that came later, they think it could pop up on its hind legs.

They’ve dubbed the newly discovered dinosaur Ledumahadi mafube, which translates in the Sesotho language to “a giant thunderclap at dawn.” And the discovery sheds light on how giants like the brontosaurus got so huge.

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