Episode Details

In this episode of pplpod, we travel back to the Late Cretaceous of Argentina to investigate one of the largest terrestrial carnivores ever discovered: Giganotosaurus. We discuss how amateur fossil hunter Rubén Carolini unearthed this massive theropod in the badlands of Patagonia in 1993, shaking up the scientific world's understanding of dinosaur size.

Join us as we dive into the decades-long "size contest" between Giganotosaurus and the famous Tyrannosaurus rex. Was the "Giant Southern Lizard" truly the king of the dinosaurs? We break down the fossil evidence, ranging from estimates of a body length up to 43 feet and a skull spanning nearly 6 feet.

We also explore the unique biology of this carcharodontosaurid, including:

• Its knife-like serrated teeth adapted for slicing rather than crushing bone.
• Evidence suggesting it was warm-blooded (homeothermic) with a high metabolism.
• Theories that it may have been a pack hunter capable of taking down giant sauropods like Andesaurus.

Tune in to learn why this apex predator remains a central figure in paleontology and how it reshaped our view of the prehistoric food chain in the Southern Hemisphere.