Page 41 - Foundations
P. 41
From America to Australia, from the Himalayan Mountains to the deserts of Arabia, even in the
frozen wasteland of Antarctica, fossils of extinct species of animals have been found that dwarf any
animals that exist today. The giraffe and elephant are tiny in comparison. An African Bush Elephant
averages 4.9 tons in weight, with the maximum weight being 10 tons. The giraffe may reach a weight
of 2 tons. The size and mass of the elephant and giraffe is impressive when compared to man, but
they seem relatively puny when compared to many of the larger dinosaurs. The fossil remains of the
Argentinosaurus have led to an estimate of the creature’s weight at 73 tons, more than seven times
the mass of the largest elephant.
Reconstructed Argentinosaurus
The Pterosaurs, or flying lizards, also were of remarkable size. Hatzegopteryx is estimated to have
had a wingspan as long as 39 feet. The similarly sized Quetzalcoatlus is estimated to have had wings
