'Biggest dinosaur ever' discovered

The skull of Qianzhousaurus sinensis (upper jaw in left lateral view and lower jaw in reversed right lateral view) is pictured in this undated handout photo. Scientists on Wednesday identified a new member of Tyrannosaurus rex's family, a beast named Qianzhousaurus sinensis that was up to 30 feet (9 meters) long and stalked China at the very end of the age of dinosaurs. [Photo/China Daily, Agencies]

It's not exactly small at 30feet long (9 meters), but you might want to call this newlyidentified dinosaur the littlest giant.

Scientists in Argentina on Wednesday announced the discoveryof the fossilized remains of a unique member of the famous long-necked, plant-munching dinosaurs known as sauropods, the largest land creatures in Earth's history.

The dinosaur, named Leinkupal laticauda, may be the smallestof the sauropod family called diplodocids, typified by thewell-known Diplodocus, which lived in North America, they said.

It also is the first of them found in South America. Itlived about 140 million years ago, millions of years afterscientists had previously thought diplodocids had disappeared, according to Argentine paleontologist Pablo Gallina, one of theresearchers.

"Finding Leinkupal was incredibly exciting since we neverthough it possible. A diplodocid in South America is as strangeas finding a T. rex in Patagonia," added another of thescientists, Argentine paleontologist Sebastian Apestegua,referring to the North American dinosaur predator Tyrannosaurusrex.

Apestegua called Leinkupal "a very small guy in a lineageof giants."

"We don't know the weight but considering that many of itsbones were very delicate and light and most of its body wasformed by neck and tail, the weight could not be impressive,actually no more than an elephant," Apestegua said.

Sauropods, one of the most successful dinosaur groups, were recognizable for their long necks and tails, huge bodies andpillar-like legs.