The Largest Terrestrial Animal of all Time: Patagotitan Mayorum.

Greetings. No group of animals can compare with the sizes that the non-avian dinosaurs achieved, at least in terrestrial terms. The largest of these reptilian giants was the sauropod Patagotitan mayorum. 

With adults measuring a mind-boggling 40 meters and with weights of approximately 85 tons, this species of sauropod must have been an incredible sight during its existence in the Cretaceous, about 100 million or so years ago. The sole member of the genus Patagotitan, P. mayorum was a robust and powerfully built herbivorous dinosaur, possessing specialized vertebrae which evolved to allow the animal to support its massive body while still being capable of efficient quadrupedal movement in its South American habitat.

Discovered in 2010, P. mayorum was native to what is now South America, with fossilized remains of multiple individuals having been uncovered in the country of Argentina. The animals likely fed on the numerous cones, ferns, and leaves that covered the forest floors of its habitat, at the time dominated by conifers with a few angiosperms also being present. A large percentage of the environments in South America during the Cretaceous contrasted between forested floodplains and low-lying semi-aquatic habitats, which provided P. mayorum with plentiful food sources year-round. The species was likely endothermic, or warm-blooded, a unique feature for a sauropod, suggesting of a highly active reptilian form. 

The skeletal structure of P. mayorum is awe-inspiring, providing a framework that supported the largest terrestrial animal to have ever evolved on the planet. The vertebrae of the animal's neck were elongated and strengthened to provide support, with ten vertebrae in the back being crossed by laminae, ridges of stiff, supporting bone which are not seen in any other species of sauropod currently known to paleontologists. The femurs, scapulae, and humeri of the species were all enlarged, with the vertebrae located closest to the limbs of the species being between 23 and 28 percent larger than in any other species of sauropod, all evolutionary adaptations to support the massive weight of the animal. 

As far as we know, the largest animal to have ever existed is today's blue whale, however the dynamics of a completely aquatic existence has allowed the whales to attain monumental proportions. The sauropods did not have that particular luxury or advantage, yet still evolved into some truly astonishing and astounding creatures. 

Thank you for your time and consideration.