Dreadnoughtus is a genus of extremely large sauropod dinosaur in the clade Titanosauria which originally lived between 76 and 70 million years ago, during the Campanian and Maastrichtian ages of the late Cretaceous period. Its genus name means “fears nothing,” a reference to the fact that its vast size makes it nearly invulnerable to predators. The only known species, D. schrani, is named for American entrepreneur Adam Schran, who financed the expeditions in Argentina which led to this dinosaur’s discovery.
The first fossil remains of this animal were found in the Cerro Fortaleza Formation in Argentinian Patagonia by the American paleontologist Kenneth John Lacovara in 2005. A partial skeleton was found including part of the upper jaw, a tooth, some ribs and vertebrae, the pelvis, numerous tail bones, the left shoulder and forelimb, most of the left hind limb, the breastbone, and a claw from one of its toes. The gargantuan size of the bones made it impossible to remove them all at once, and laboriously, over the course of four years, Lacovara’s team excavated the remains for study. In 2009, the fossils were shipped via freighter to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where they were studied at Drexel University and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Much of this research centered around just how much this animal weighed, with estimates being revised even into the early 2020s.
A second, smaller specimen was discovered near the resting place of the original in 2014. That year, the animal was finally given its name, Dreadnoughtus. Lacovara chose this name to highlight how the sauropod was so massive that it had nothing to fear from predators, wanting to emphasize how herbivorous megafauna are by necessity the most powerful animals in their ecosystems. The name was also inspired by two Argentinian dreadnoughts in service during the early twentieth century, the ARA Rivadavia and ARA Moreno. Alongside the two fossils, which are believed to have been buried at the same time by a river rapidly breaching its banks, a number of megaraptoran teeth were found. These probably belonged to animals like Orkoraptor, an apex predator of the Cerro Fortaleza ecosystem, which scavenged on the partly-buried carcasses entombed in mud.
The fossils were scanned in Philadelphia using cutting-edge technology to create a digital 3D model to be used by researchers the world over, and then in 2015, the physical fossils were shipped back to their country of origin. Today, the skeleton of this animal stands proudly in the Museo Padre Molina in Rio Gallegos, Argentina.
DNA belonging to this species of sauropod was discovered by International Genetic Technologies sometime before late 2015, at around the same time the animal’s fossils were first being studied. In fact, it is likely that InGen was involved with the research to some degree, as it occurred at the height of Jurassic World‘s success. However, they never succeeded in cloning the animal. Instead, the first de-extinct Dreadnoughtus was bred by InGen’s competitor Biosyn Genetics sometime between 2017 and 2021. Traditional paleontology has not slowed down its study of this creature either; in 2022, paleontologist Elena R. Schroeter and her team discovered collagen and soft tissue preservation on the original fossil, a rare find for such ancient remains.
Description
Among the very largest of the dinosaurs (and all terrestrial animals), adult Dreadnoughtus can measure between 61 and 91.9 feet (18.58 and 28 meters) in length, with average-sized animals around 85 feet (25.9 meters) long. When standing upright, their heads can tower between 51.9 and 61.4 feet (15.82 and 18.7 meters) above the ground; the shoulder height is around 20 feet (6.1 meters). The neck of this animal is around 37 feet (11.28 meters) long on average, supporting a three-foot-long (91.4-centimeter-long) skull. When fully grown it can weigh between 53 and 72.1 U.S. short tons (48.1 and 65.4 metric tons). While these dimensions exceed the larger of the two known fossils, paleontological evidence suggests that the animal had not been done growing at the time of death, so prehistoric Dreadnoughtus certainly grew to sizes comparable to modern de-extinct specimens.
Its skull is of average proportions for a sauropod, with a protruding snout and round, slanted forehead. The eyes are large and round, with yellow-orange sclerae and round birdlike pupils. The jaws are simple, though in the cloned specimens they have been modified to enable chewing; in the Cretaceous period, their ancestors swallowed food whole. Within the wide mouth are dozens of round peg-shaped teeth and a large, but not very mobile, smooth pink tongue.
Characteristic of sauropods, Dreadnoughtus has a lengthy neck, which in this species is noticeably thick and muscular. Nearly half of its length is neck, which is quite long for an animal this size, even a sauropod. It is wide of both chest and shoulders, with the longest shoulder blades of any known titanosaur. The neck is typically kept at an angle; it does not usually stand as upright as the brachiosaurs, nor is its posture as sloped. Titanosaurs like Dreadnoughtus can be distinguished from the brachiosaurs by their posture, because their forelimbs are not that much longer than their hind limbs, and from other types of sauropods by the fact that they stand with their legs farther out from the body midline. This type of posture is called wide-gauge. Such a stance helps to better support its vast bulk.
The enormous body is, as with all sauropods, supported by four pillar-like legs. While the difference in length between the front and hind legs is not great, the front limbs are indeed longer than the rear ones. All four legs end in five-toed feet, but one of these toes is vestigial, lacking a claw. The other four toes bear large claws; in fossil specimens, the claws tend to be longer and sharper than in their de-extinct counterparts, which typically have blunter and shorter claws. This condition is common in de-extinct sauropods, but it is unknown whether the cause is genetic or environmental. Each leg has a well-developed panniculus carnosus muscle, a layer of muscle in the fatty tissue of the skin. This permits it to twitch specific parts of its skin to dislodge unwanted clinging insects. Such a feature is surprising in an archosaur, since this level of development in that muscle layer is uncommon in reptiles in general.
At the other end of its lengthy body is the tail, a 29-foot (8.7-meter) appendage bearing large chevron bones for muscle attachment similar to those seen in crocodiles. The tail is not very flexible, but it is powerful, held aloft by its muscles in order to counterbalance the head. Dreadnoughtus can be distinguished by its tail vertebrae, which have distinctive ridges and air sacs under the neural spines of the first third of the tail. The very first vertebra of the tail also has a noticeable keel that other titanosaurs do not have. This is one of the ways paleontologists can differentiate Dreadnoughtus from its relatives.
Most of the scales on its body are tiny and bead-like, but as with other titanosaurs, these are also interspersed with larger scales. Together, these form a protective mosaic that gives its body an added layer against predator bites. Combined with its gigantic size, this makes an adult Dreadnoughtus a nearly unassailable force. Its coloration is subtle, with the back and legs being primarily blue-gray, while light brown striping decorates the dorsal side and tan hues give countershading to its neck and belly. Its coloration darkens on the tail, with the blue-gray deepening to very dark gray, almost black. This highlights the lighter color of the brown stripes, which continue onto the tail all the way to the end. Nearer the tail’s base, these light brown stripes may be rimmed in black, before the darker color overtakes the tail farther along its length. Similar rimming exists on the brown stripes of the head.
Growth
The ontogeny of Dreadnoughtus has yet to be observed. Generally speaking, though, sauropods are precocial, and they mostly resemble tiny versions of adults when they hatch; their heads and eyes are often proportionally larger, the necks and tails shorter. In some species the hatchlings have darker colors than adults.
Most sauropods reach skeletal maturity in roughly a decade, and may live for over a century. The precise growth rates and lifespan of Dreadnoughtus specifically is unknown.
Sexual Dimorphism
So far, only the female Dreadnoughtus has been positively identified. It is not known whether the males are visibly different, as in some species, or if they lack sexual dimorphism.
Habitat
Preferred Habitat
During the Cretaceous period, Dreadnoughtus inhabited fluvial environments such as riverbeds, floodplains, swamps, and estuaries. Even today, after being brought back from extinction, it shows a preference for fresh water in its habitat, and is often seen along lakes and rivers. Bathing helps to keep it cool during hot days, but is also good for hygiene, helping it to wash away dirt and detritus that might harbor bacteria. While all sauropods are fairly poor swimmers, many enjoy bathing in lakes from time to time for these reasons. The environments that it prefers are typically warm and humid.
Muertes Archipelago
This species has not been confirmed in the Muertes Archipelago.
Isla Nublar
Sometime during the early 2010s, International Genetic Technologies discovered ancient DNA belonging to this sauropod in Patagonia, and added it to their genetic library housed on-site in Jurassic World on Isla Nublar. Genetic samples, as well as any potential embryos created for later park use, were most likely maintained in facilities such as the Hammond Creation Lab, but as of 2015, no actual efforts to breed the animal had taken place.
Mantah Corp Island
During the mid-2010s, Mantah Corporation illegally acquired numerous InGen assets for breeding and research in a clandestine facility built on nearby Mantah Corp Island to the southeast of Isla Nublar. However, there is no evidence that they ever got their hands on Dreadnoughtus DNA.
Biosyn Genetics Sanctuary
The first confirmed organization to clone Dreadnoughtus schrani was Biosyn Genetics, which bred the dinosaur sometime in the later 2010s or early 2020s. At least four fully-grown adults, including at least one female, were living in Biosyn Genetics Sanctuary located in Biosyn Valley of the Italian Dolomites as of December 2022. They appear to inhabit the southern half of the valley, with one of the valley’s two large lakes providing an ideal place to bathe and drink.
During the winter of 2022, a botched attempt by Biosyn management to cover up their complicity in a worldwide famine resulted in a large wildfire damaging the valley’s forests. Due to the fire, all of the animals including the Dreadnoughtus were herded using their neural implants into emergency containment behind Biosyn headquarters. After the blaze was extinguished, the animals were able to return to their normal habitats. Although the forest was partly burned, the southern areas were mostly spared, so the Dreadnoughtus were likely able to continue living there. They may have temporarily faced some new competition from herbivores that had inhabited the burned areas of the north. As of 2022, only adults were reported in the sanctuary.
Black market
Before it was cloned by Biosyn, this animal’s genetic material entered the international black market on June 24, 2018. During that night, an illegal auction was held of recovered InGen assets from Jurassic World, which had been abandoned a couple years prior. The auction, orchestrated by Lockwood Foundation financier Eli Mills, saw samples of Dreadnoughtus DNA sold to a Russian buyer, most likely the mobster Anton Orlov. From here, the DNA samples entered the black market and were eventually acquired by Biosyn Genetics.
More samples are probably circulating around, and live specimens may even occasionally be bought and sold. The immense size of this dinosaur makes it nearly impossible to keep in captivity, though, so actual efforts to clone it for sale are probably limited. The best chance of locating genetic samples on the black market is probably through organizations such as the Amber Clave, which operates in Malta.
Wild populations
South America
About 76 million years ago, this animal appeared for the first time, evolving in the extreme southern parts of South America. Since only two fossils have ever been found, it is unknown how common or widespread it was, but such an enormous animal would have played a pivotal role in its ecosystem. The area where it lived was full of rivers, and this dinosaur traveled along their floodplains as they drained toward the sea. It disappears from the fossil record in layers 70 million years of age, suggesting that it became extinct at that point. However, the prologue to Jurassic World: Dominion suggests that some populations persisted until the end of the Cretaceous period, closer to 66 million years ago, extending their tenure on Earth by four million years. This is represented in the Jurassic World: Evolution games with one variant of Dreadnoughtus based on the fossil record and one based on the film’s animals, suggesting that the genus continued to evolve with time. In any event, though, a mass extinction event at the end of the Mesozoic era ended this dinosaur’s lineage.
Samples of DNA survived, though, and despite millions of years of deterioration, scientists in the early 21st century were able to recover this DNA and bring the animal back to life through genetic engineering. However, no wild populations in the modern age have been reported.
Behavior and Ecology
Activity Patterns
Like most sauropods, Dreadnoughtus is diurnal. It socializes in the early morning and tends to bathe around midday. These are its two main activities aside from eating; for most of its day, Dreadnoughtus consumes food to fuel its massive body.
Diet and Feeding Behavior
Food is the primary interest of any sauropod, and as one of the biggest of them all, Dreadnoughtus needs to forage huge quantities of plant life every day. All sauropods are herbivorous. Most titanosaurs have broad diets—with their grand appetites they cannot afford to be too selective. Biosyn scientists have noted that, in Biosyn Genetics Sanctuary, the Dreadnoughtus graze heavily on midland hawthorn and ferns. Fossil evidence suggests that prehistoric titanosaurs fed on palms and cycads and were even able to eat grasses related to today’s bamboo and rice, though it is unknown if these plants had reached South America by the Cretaceous. Nevertheless, Dreadnoughtus might be able to eat some modern grasses, giving it an advantage over most dinosaurs. Using their peg-shaped teeth, they pull leaves and branches off their preferred food. Their long necks permit them to feed from the ground or up in trees, ensuring that they have plenty of options and can avoid competing with shorter herbivores. Dreadnoughtus can also use its lengthy neck to reach lakebeds and feed upon aquatic plants.
Ancestrally they could not chew, but most de-extinct sauropods have been endowed with more flexible jaw joints that permit them to chew like mammals. This feature has been seen since the very first de-extinct sauropods in the 1980s and has been consistently observed in nearly all sauropod clones. While unfaithful to their original biology, this makes them more efficient at digesting the plants that they encounter in the modern world. With most of its ancestral diet extinct, the modern Dreadnoughtus can use all the help it can get.
In the game Jurassic World: Evolution, this species prefers to eat tree ferns, as well as conifers and ginkgoes. They cannot properly digest pawpaws, mosses, or horsetails. The sequel to this game depicts it primarily grazing on tall, fibrous plants.
Social Behavior
Dreadnoughtus seems to be less social than most other sauropods, although it is still not a loner. It may spend part of the day by itself, congregating in the mornings and evenings to socialize around water sources, and staying in pairs or small groups overnight. Part of the reason it ventures off on its own during the day may be due to its dietary needs. The sheer amount of food it has to consume each day makes it less feasible to stick together as a herd when eating, since the Dreadnoughtus might end up competing with each other. Spreading out over a wider area helps to ensure that each of them can get enough to eat and avoid conflict.
Like other sauropods, they mostly socialize through vocalization, with physical touch being less frequent. They do not show signs of strict social hierarchies, although older and more experienced animals, or those that are particularly strong, probably hold the respect of others. Sauropod hierarchies tend to be quite different from one genus to another, and the specifics of Dreadnoughtus are not well known. As for other forms of interaction, they are depicted in Jurassic World: Evolution 2 as gently touching one another’s necks and rubbing against each other to show affection.
Reproduction
This species has not been documented breeding in captivity, although the reproduction of sauropods in general and titanosaurs specifically are well-understood. Like all dinosaurs, they lay eggs, and titanosaurs are known from fossils to gather in large herds to lay eggs in yearly nesting grounds. Using their powerful hind limbs, they dig out ground nests in soft earth where the eggs can stay warm, and lay large numbers of round eggs before burying them in dirt and plants. The eggs might appear large on their own, but when compared to the size of their parents, most are actually quite small; most are four or five inches in diameter. Scientists once assumed that, like sea turtles, they would abandon their eggs, but InGen found evidence of sauropod parental care by around 2004, and this was later corroborated by paleontology in the 2020s; it now appears that many sauropod species stayed near the nesting grounds and protected their young from predators. Even so, laying large quantities of eggs is a defensive strategy used by animals that can expect high infant mortality rates, so many juveniles do not survive.
The incubation periods of bigger dinosaurs are often longer, with some sauropods documented by InGen as incubating in their eggs for six months to a year. Growth rates are quick for such big animals, though—the majority of de-extinct sauropods, when allowed to mature naturally without growth-boosting supplements, reach skeletal maturity at ten years old and are able to reproduce by that time. It is currently unknown how Dreadnoughtus goes about selecting its mates, but some of its more impressive features, such as the muscular neck and tail and the broad chest, may play a role. The tail in particular has interestingly different color patterns from the rest of the body, so it may be used in courtship displays. Like many dinosaurs, it most likely possesses a cloaca where its reproductive system is accessed during mating. The bulky bodies of the largest sauropods limit the amount of time mating can last, though.
This animal is frequently seen living in pairs which stay together at night, suggesting it may be monogamous.
Communication
The vocalizations produced by this animal are, like those of many sauropods, simple in their meanings. When they gather, they voice greetings with high musical wails that can carry over long distances. They sound quite similar to calls used by both Brachiosaurus and Apatosaurus, suggesting that sauropods maintained similar vocal communications for many millions of years. It is unknown if these species are able to communicate with one another; they may be too behaviorally different, and probably avoid each other’s territories to prevent fighting over food sources.
Aside from this sound, Dreadnoughtus makes a range of deep, lower-pitched noises including groans and growls. These are often heard in animals that are far away from others of their kind, suggesting that they may just be the audible part of a long-distance infrasound cry that humans mostly cannot hear. When distressed, Dreadnoughtus can be heard moaning nervously. In general it is one of the quieter sauropods. It may utilize forms of body language with its neck and tail to communicate visually, but the specifics have yet to be studied.
Ecological Interactions
Easily the largest animal in its ecosystem, Dreadnoughtus towers over all of its predators and most of the competition, only finding equals in other giant sauropods. It can feed from tall trees as well as low-growing shrubbery, and eats large quantities of ferns and foliage every day. As with other giant herbivores, it probably knocks over trees and crushes smaller plant life as it seeks out food, which shapes the way that forests in its territory can grow. Well-worn paths that it takes between feeding grounds, water sources, and the places it sleeps are likely to become clear routes through the forests as it tramples anything in its way.
Being so large means that it has outgrown the need to worry about being eaten. Unless a predator is very lucky or coordinates well with other giant carnivores, there is not much it can do to bring down a Dreadnoughtus. For the most part this animal can spend its days contentedly eating, safely ignoring hunters that might threaten a lesser beast. In fact, it is tolerant enough of predators that it will permit smaller ones to perch on its back; winged carnivores may use Dreadnoughtus as a mobile hunting platform to scope out their surroundings. Most of the medium-sized or large carnivores simply avoid it, knowing they have no chance of preying on so huge an animal. The only time that a healthy adult ever needs to concern itself with predators is when it has young to protect.
All its life this animal does not just feed from its ecosystem, but provides for it as well. The dung it produces acts as fertilizer, allowing microorganisms, fungi, and plant life to flourish in its wake. Insects and other small scavenging invertebrates are also drawn to its dung, and these feed the smaller predatory animals. In this way Dreadnoughtus can support entire food webs during its life span. Many of its eggs and juveniles are picked off by predators; this is why titanosaurs lay so many eggs at once, and all in the same place. And when the adults finally reach the end of their lives, their carcasses provide a bounty of meat to the other animals in their environment.
Ankylosaurus
Among the species housed in Biosyn Genetics Sanctuary alongside Dreadnoughtus is the reclusive and armored herbivore Ankylosaurus, which prefers densely forested regions. While they live in nearby environments and likely encounter one another around watering holes, it is not known if they have any particular relationship. They may occasionally face competition for ferns, which are important in both of their diets. The Ankylosaurus browses near the ground and cannot reach upward into trees to eat, so if Dreadnoughtus leaves toppled trees in its wake, nearby Ankylosaurus may find themselves able to access food they could not usually reach.
Brachiosaurus
In Biosyn Genetics Sanctuary, this sauropod lives on the opposite side of the valley from Brachiosaurus, another towering species of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur. Brachiosaurs live in the northern parts of the sanctuary, while Dreadnoughtus favors the south. While they are not built in quite the same way, both of them could potentially feed on similar food sources, which is likely the reason they inhabit different parts of the valley. During times when they must encounter each other, they face competition for food sources, each species trying to satisfy its gargantuan appetite.
Bracken
Dreadnoughtus feeds on ferns, and the game Jurassic World: Evolution suggests that bracken (genus Pteridium) is among the kinds of ferns it will consume. When eaten in excess, though, bracken ferns can be harmful. They contain thiaminase, an enzyme which breaks down thiamine (vitamin B1). Animals that feed on bracken ferns can experience thiamine deficiency. Bracken poisoning can occur in acute or chronic forms. In the longer term, bracken can be carcinogenic, containing a compound called ptaquiloside which causes DNA damage. Cancers of the digestive tract can eventually result from bracken consumption. Two species of bracken are known from northern Italy where Biosyn Valley is located, the common bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) and pinewood bracken (Pteridium pinetorum).
Central European red deer
Though native to Europe, the Central European red deer (Cervus elaphus hippelaphus) is regularly imported to Biosyn Valley in order to provide a suitable food source for the carnivorous animals. While the deer itself is of no real interest to the huge Dreadnoughtus, which can easily muscle the mammals out of the way if it wants what they’re eating, the sauropod is certainly of interest to the deer. With its enormous size, Dreadnoughtus is avoided by the medium-sized and larger predators, so sticking close to it is a good way for the deer to escape being eaten. It may also find food that would normally be out of reach when Dreadnoughtus knocks down trees.
Common cold virus
According to the game Jurassic World: Evolution, this species of sauropod is wholly immune to the viruses that cause the common cold. The usual pathogen that causes this disease is the rhinovirus, a group of virus species in the genus Enterovirus, but a scattering of other viruses can also cause it, including adenoviruses and coronaviruses.
Common lady fern
One of the most common kinds of ferns in Biosyn Valley and its sanctuary is the common lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina), which is frequently eaten by Dreadnoughtus and other herbivorous dinosaurs. Since it flourishes in shady, damp environments near sources of fresh water, it is an ideal food source for this lake-loving titanosaur. Lady ferns would make a perfect meal for a Dreadnoughtus having a lazy day, since it would not have to venture far from its bathing sites to find them.
European larch
Biosyn Valley is populated by a sprawling forest of European larch trees (Larix decidua), and since Dreadnoughtus is known to feed on conifer branches and foliage, these probably constitute part of its diet. As it feeds, it pushes back the boundaries of forests; it also does this by pushing over trees in search of lower-growing food, and simply by knocking trees down as it walks. Altering the forest biome in the valley has cascading effects; many species of birds nest in European larch or feed on its cones, and the foliage is an important food source for caterpillars. If Dreadnoughtus eats the cones, it may help to spread the seeds, eventually planting new trees to replace those it topples.
Flowery lichen
The small, dangling flowery lichen (Usnea florida) is unlikely to be an important part of Dreadnoughtus diets, but this does not mean it is unaffected by them. As Dreadnoughtus browses on the trees of Biosyn Valley, it almost certainly consumes flowery lichen by accident. Fragments of the plant that escape the titanosaur’s jaws may be able to regrow if they land in the canopy of trees left standing after the dinosaurs have eaten.
Gallimimus
The speedy, omnivorous Gallimimus is among the theropods kept in Biosyn Genetics Sanctuary, and is seen on the grasslands throughout the valley. So far it has not been seen in direct association with Dreadnoughtus except for during emergency evacuation procedures where all of the animals are herded together, but there is one way in which Dreadnoughtus could concievably be of benefit to the smaller Gallimimus. As it feeds and travels about its territory, it demolishes trees and holds back forest growth, establishing paths through the woodland. Gallimimus can live in forests, but does best when trees are sparser. In the open, it can spot danger more easily and get a head start on a pursuing predator. The toppled trees, crushed bushes, and animals attracted to Dreadnoughtus dung could also yield food sources to the opportunistic Gallimimus. For its part, there is not much the Gallimimus could do to a Dreadnoughtus aside from attempting to eat its eggs.
Giganotosaurus
So far, only one Giganotosaurus has been reported in Biosyn Genetics Sanctuary, although it was often seen in the southern half of the valley where Dreadnoughtus would go to feed and bathe. Despite frequently traveling into the south of the valley, the Giganotosaurus was not seen to interact with any of the Dreadnoughtus. While a carcass of an adult or a live juvenile would be excellent food for this carnivore, a healthy adult would simply be too much for a single Giganotosaurus to handle. During prehistoric times, Giganotosaurus formed loose associations with others of its kind to take down giant titanosaurs; perhaps one day, these epic hunts may become possible again.
Human
By and large the human (Homo sapiens) is simply too small an animal for Dreadnoughtus to bother with. For the most part, it will not even notice that humans are there. It is more likely to take note if humans are riding around in vehicles—whether on the ground or in the air, since low-flying helicopters may present a unique hazard. Of course, for Dreadnoughtus in captivity, humans play a far more pivotal role than the animals recognize, monitoring the environment and making adjustments when necessary, sometimes even directly interfering with the animal’s life by providing medicine or moving it from one area to another. In spite of all this, though, Dreadnoughtus usually remains aloof, allowing the tiny humans to go about their business so long as they do not cause it any harm.
Iguanodon
One of the herbivores that lives in Biosyn Genetics Sanctuary along with Dreadnoughtus is the Iguanodon, an adaptable and successful creature. Although their territories may overlap, these two have not yet been seen to interact directly, and have only associated with one another during an emergency evacuation. The much smaller Iguanodon may sometimes face competition for food with this giant, in which case the only thing it can really do is go somewhere else. Dreadnoughtus has no real reason to pick a fight, though, and Iguanodon would stand no chance of winning one, so neither species has cause to be aggressive toward the other. So long as they choose different foods, they can probably coexist.
Indominus
According to Jurassic World: Evolution 2, this sauropod instinctively fears the hybrid theropod Indominus. This predator is an accomplished killer of sauropods, using its ability to camouflage to ambush victims and employing its massive clawed arms to fatally wound even very large animals. However, in the film canon proper, Indominus was fully extant between 2012 and 2015, whereas Dreadnoughtus did not become de-extinct until at least 2017 and possibly later. Therefore, there have so far been no opportunities for these two dinosaurs to encounter one another.
Maastrichtian locust
An unnamed species of large locust lived alongside this sauropod during the Cretaceous period. The insect was herbivorous, and so would normally be nothing more than a minor pest to something as large as Dreadnoughtus. Sometimes, though, the locusts would enter their swarming phase, eating huge amounts of plant matter and forcing the sauropods to travel in search of food. In the modern day this species is technically extinct, but Biosyn Genetics used DNA sourced from this insect in order to create a hybrid locust species which is ecologically similar—albeit significantly more destructive than its ancestor. Hybrid locusts only affected Biosyn Genetics Sanctuary once, during the 2022 incident, but caused widespread damage to the valley. However, the damage was not due to the locusts’ ravenous appetites; in fact the insects were not at fault for the damage at all. Instead, the damage was because Biosyn administration had tried to incinerate their captive swarm to destroy evidence of their existence, but failed and caused a massive wildfire that threatened the Dreadnoughtus and other animals. Today these insects have been all but eliminated by a genetically-targeted extermination campaign.
Midland hawthorn
Among the more important dietary items for the Dreadnoughtus is midland hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata), which grows naturally in Biosyn Valley. This plant grows as a shrub or tree, but regardless of its height, Dreadnoughtus is easily able to reach its branches and foliage using its lengthy neck. Fruits of this plant are fairly small and probably do not constitute a significant part of the animal’s diet. By browsing on the trees, Dreadnoughtus probably does consume the fruits, though, and thus participates in spreading their seeds around the valley.
Moros
Moros intrepidus is a species of comparatively small tyrannosaur, and in Biosyn Genetics Sanctuary it mainly fills the role of a scavenger. It can be found near larger carnivores such as the Giganotosaurus, which allows them to clean scraps of meat from its teeth. Moros also feeds on small animals and carcasses, and since it lives near Dreadnoughtus territory, it likely benefits from their presence by eating insects attracted to their dung and the carrion of carcasses they leave behind when they die. If it sticks near a Dreadnoughtus, Moros might find some protection from medium-sized predators that are intimidated by the titanosaur’s presence.
Nasutoceratops
This is one of the horned dinosaurs present in Biosyn Genetics Sanctuary, although it tends to inhabit more northerly areas than Dreadnoughtus does. Because of this, it does not frequently encounter Nasutoceratops. This ceratopsian inhabits woodlands, so it may marginally be affected by grazing activities of Dreadnoughtus that venture farther north than usual. In general, though, these animals seem to have little to do with one another, and were they ever to compete for food, the much bigger Dreadnoughtus would have little trouble emerging the victor. Any crushed or trampled plants that Dreadnoughtus does not eat would be easy pickings for ground-feeding herbivores like Nasutoceratops, though.
Orkoraptor
During the Cretaceous period, the southern tip of South America was home to the megaraptoran theropod Orkoraptor burkei, which may have lived close in both time and space to Dreadnoughtus. This predator reached around twenty feet in length, so it was certainly not large enough to prey on adult titanosaurs. However, the fossils of Dreadnoughtus found in the Cerro Fortaleza Formation were found alongside numerous megaraptoran teeth, which might have come from Orkoraptor or one of its close relatives. This suggests that Dreadnoughtus carcasses were a major source of food to megaraptorans such as this one, and probably to any other hungry carnivores in the ecosystem. However, since Orkoraptor has not yet been confirmed among any genetic libraries yet, interactions between it and Dreadnoughtus remain in the realm of traditional paleontology.
Quetzalcoatlus
During the Cretaceous period, the wide-ranging pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus could easily travel to the floodplains and estuaries where Dreadnoughtus fed and bathed. The two species have more opportunity to encounter one another today, since both are housed in Biosyn Genetics Sanctuary, although they have not yet been seen interacting. While a Quetzalcoatlus could easily gobble down an unattended hatchling or young juvenile, there is little it could do to seriously harm an adult without risking grave injury itself. Likewise, even though a Dreadnoughtus would most likely win in a fight with a Quetzalcoatlus, it would probably not want to risk any stabs from the pterosaur’s sharp beak. These two giants of their respective domains most likely just ignore one another, since they are not in competition for food or territory.
Parasaurolophus
While the hadrosaur Parasaurolophus is often seen alongside Brachiosaurus, it has not yet been witnessed making similar associations with Dreadnoughtus, possibly because of behavioral differences between the two sauropods. A brachiosaur makes for a good neighbor due to its herding behaviors, gathering in groups to keep an eye out for threats. They spot danger from a distance, and their watchful eyes help keep the parasaurs safe. In turn, the parasaurs use their keen senses to watch out for threats that are better hidden from view. Dreadnoughtus is less social, usually living alone or in pairs and only gathering in slightly larger groups in the morning or evening. This may mean that it is not exactly what Parasaurolophus needs in a cross-species relationship. Adult Dreadnoughtus fear little aside from natural disasters, and so they may not even think to give their smaller neighbors a warning if a predator is sneaking up on them. This hadrosaur can be seen living not far from Dreadnoughtus territories in Biosyn Genetics Sanctuary, but typically keeps to the northern half of Biosyn Valley where its preferred companions live instead. They have only been seen temporarily associating with Dreadnoughtus during emergency containment procedures where all of the animals are herded together.
Pteranodon
Among all of the animals in Biosyn Genetics Sanctuary, Dreadnoughtus appears to have a special relationship with the predatory pterosaur Pteranodon. Far too small to be of any threat to an adult Dreadnoughtus, these pterosaurs are frequently seen around lakes where they dive for fish to eat, and are known to perch on the expansive back of Dreadnoughtus while the sauropods are bathing. Dreadnoughtus tolerates this, making no effort to drive away the pterosaurs. It is unknown whether Dreadnoughtus gets anything out of the relationship or if it is merely commensal, but the Pteranodons get an ideal spot from which to look for fish and plunge after them. Fish may even be drawn to the huge shadow of the sauropod, which would eliminate sun glare on the surface and make it easier for the pterosaurs to see their prey.
Even when Dreadnoughtus is on land, Pteranodons will follow it around; they were seen to stick nearby during an emergency evacuation in 2022, suggesting that during times of stress, Pteranodon stays close to Dreadnoughtus. While these species lived in similar environments during the Cretaceous period, this relationship seems to be a modern development.
Scorpios
A smaller relative of the Indominus, the venomous Scorpios is also depicted in Jurassic World: Evolution 2 as evoking an instinctive fear reaction in Dreadnoughtus. Like the Indominus, Scorpios has killed sauropods before, either using its neurotoxic venom to paralyze one of the sauropod’s pillar-like legs or simply by causing stampedes that end with the sauropod tripping and falling. In any case, when sauropods stumble, the results can be fatal just because of how big they are. However, also like the Indominus, there has never been an opportunity for Scorpios to encounter Dreadnoughtus because it became extinct before the first of these sauropods were cloned in the actual film canon. Scorpios was extant between 2008 and 2016, with Dreadnoughtus becoming de-extinct sometime after this, in 2017 at the very earliest.
Stegosaurus
The armored Stegosaurus inhabits Biosyn Genetics Sanctuary and lives in wooded areas, so it may be affected by the browsing and traveling of Dreadnoughtus through the forests. It might be able to access foods that would usually be out of reach by visiting areas where Dreadnoughtus has knocked down trees, but Dreadnoughtus also gorges itself on ferns, which are important to the Stegosaurus diet. If its food sources were threatened, a Stegosaurus could try to intimidate the far larger sauropod, but it would most likely fail. It would have better luck just going someplace else. Although they presumably encounter each other sometimes, they have so far only been seen to associate during an emergency evacuation procedure, during which all of the animals were herded together.
Triceratops
Like many of the other herbivores of Biosyn Genetics Sanctuary, the Triceratops is mostly seen in environments farther away from where the Dreadnoughtus live, though the valley’s size means that they must from time to time run into each other. Normally this horned dinosaur tolerates sauropods, if only because there is not much it can do to them as adults. It is notorious for harassing the juveniles of other herbivore species, though, even sauropods. Dreadnoughtus affects the distribution of forests in its environment, tearing down older trees and planting new ones by dispersing seeds in its dung; since Triceratops also relies on forest ecosystems for food, the activities of Dreadnoughtus have an outsized effect on its life. It could feed from trees felled by the Dreadnoughtus, but it could also face competition for food. At the moment, they have only been seen associating with each other during emergency evacuations where the dinosaurs are all herded into containment together. When out in the valley, they do not seem to live alongside each other, though they also have no particular conflicts. Notably, Triceratops is a poor swimmer like all ceratopsians, so Dreadnoughtus can reach places Triceratops cannot.
Cultural Significance
Symbolism
One of the more prominent dinosaur discoveries of the early twenty-first century, Dreadnoughtus was so named by its discoverer to emphasize the power that herbivorous megafauna must necessarily embody. In popular media, large herbivores such as sauropods are typically seen as gentle, friendly, or even outright harmless; this is partly due to the fact that cattle are the only herbivorous megafauna that most humans will regularly encounter, and cattle are depicted as harmless and kind animals in order to make them appealing mascots for dairy products. This mistaken idea that cattle are not dangerous has been applied to many other megafauna, and sauropods are among them, with many films and video games depicting them as little more than living buffets easily slaughtered by most predators. Dreadnoughtus was named by paleontologist Kenneth Lacovara, who stated “I think it’s time the herbivores get their due for being the toughest creatures in an environment.” Its name was partly inspired by the dreadnoughts of the Argentine navy in the previous century. Thanks to its name, many people perceive it as a bold and fearless creature, immune to most attacks. Paleoart focused on it often emphasizes its size and depicts it as intimidating.
Dreadnoughtus has also served as a good example of how paleontology should work internationally. The fossils were discovered in Argentina by an American paleontologist, and were studied in the United States, but once detailed 3D scans of its bones were completed, the remains were brought back to Argentina. Throughout the history of paleontology, many fossils were taken from their countries of origin and never returned, depriving the people of those countries of the chance to see in person the great animals that had once walked their lands. Dreadnoughtus now stands in an Argentinian museum, helping to educate and inspire people in the part of the world where it once lived.
In Captivity
Because it is so large, it is a challenge to house Dreadnoughtus anywhere. It needs expansive feeding grounds, huge quantities of water, and vast tracts of territory to roam, on top of the usual challenges of keeping exotic animals. There is also the issue of building an enclosure that can hold it safely and securely. At its size, if it does not like the area where it is living, there are relatively few barriers it cannot demolish.
The only successful effort at keeping Dreadnoughtus in captivity thus far is Biosyn Genetics Sanctuary, where it was originally cloned and used for biomedical research. In the sanctuary, the animals are permitted to roam as they please, with neural implants serving to restrict them from areas where sanctuary management does not want them to go. Even if these implants fail, the valley is surrounded on all sides by steep mountain slopes which make a natural barrier that even this huge creature cannot break through. It would have to climb the mountains to get out, and the cold high-altitude conditions of the alpine tundra would not be amenable to its environmental needs, encouraging it to turn back.
Science
At the time of its discovery Dreadnoughtus was the most complete titanosaur fossil ever found, and as of 2024, it still is. Evidence suggests that it lived in a fluvial environment, and that both the known fossil skeletons came from animals that had been buried in mud when a natural levee failed or a river suddenly shifted to a different part of its delta. With the carcasses preserved in the muddy ground so quickly, they were better preserved than most other giant animal remains, which are typically fragmented by scavengers and environmental conditions. The site where Dreadnoughtus was found also included a number of megaraptoran teeth, possibly from the local apex predator Orkoraptor burkei. This suggests that the carcasses were only partly buried, and that theropods and other carnivores fed on their remains. Soft tissues were found on the holotype fossil in 2022, serving as a major piece of evidence that the animals’ bodies were buried in mud and preserved.
The fossils of Dreadnoughtus have yielded valuable insight into how the titanosaurs evolved, revealing rare information about the largest of land animals. 45.5% of the bones of Dreadnoughtus were found intact, and assuming its body was symmetrical, 70.4% of its skeleton can be restored with confidence. Among the sauropods that weigh forty tons or more, there are no others that come close to this level of completion. Based on the two skeletons discovered in the Cerro Fortaleza Formation, paleontologists have been able to determine where the muscles attached to the bones, and how the shoulders and hips were built; since these features are seldom preserved in titanosaur remains, Dreadnoughtus can be used as an estimate for how the skeletons would have been constructed in its relatives. An arrangement of basal and derived features are found in the skeleton of Dreadnoughtus, suggesting that it was not among the very most advanced titanosaurs but was still fairly closely related to the more derived groups.
Despite how complete its skeleton is, there are still some things about its biology that are difficult to determine. For years, paleontologists have debated precisely how heavy it was. Early estimates were based on the cirucmference of its leg bones, coming up with a weight greater than 65 short tons. Soon afterward, newer estimates instead used its volume to determine a weight between 29 and 44 short tons, depending on how long its torso was. Despite this, some calculations showed that a weight of 65 tons was still possible. The most recent estimates use better-developed calculations stemming from newer anatomical research, determining that the holotype skeleton was probably from an animal that weighed between 53 and 54 short tons. There is one more unknown, though: the bones show signs of still-growing woven tissue and lack the outer layer of bone found on all mature vertebrate skeletons. This means that the holotype was not yet fully mature, and that adults might have been more massive.
The excellent preservation of fossils at the Cerro Fortaleza Formation site where this species is located makes them an ideal subject for DNA extraction, de-extinction, and cloning. DNA samples were first recovered by InGen Technologies in the early 2010s and viable embryos were produced, but none were actually bred. Cloned specimens produced by Biosyn Genetics certainly seem to suggest that weights of 65 tons are well within the realm of possibility for a fully-grown animal, as some scientists have suggested based on fossils. Since its de-extinction—the first of any titanosaur—it has served as a research subject in Biosyn Genetics Sanctuary, although the precise nature of pharmaceuticals derived from it has yet to be revealed.
Politics
Since it has so far only been confirmed in Biosyn Genetics Sanctuary, with no specimens reported in the wild, Dreadnoughtus has avoided much of the controversy that tends to surround de-extinct animals in the modern world. Its genetic material does have a presence on the black market, however, even if the high cost of breeding and raising one of these beasts inhibits illegal cloning efforts. Authorities around the world such as the Department of Prehistoric Wildlife and the Central Intelligence Agency Dangerous Species Division have spent years identifying sites where de-extinction technology and resources are illegally traded in order to prevent unauthorized de-extinction.
The fossils of Dreadnoughtus originally found by Kenneth J. Lacovara have been a notable exception to the politics of paleontology in a different way. Traditionally, since most paleontologists have hailed from Western countries due to the historic dominance of this culture over others, fossils found in colonized or otherwise underpriviledged nations were often taken to England or the United States for study and kept there. Dreadnoughtus fossils were found in Argentina, and were brought to Philadelphia to be studied. Instead of keeping the fossils indefinitely, though, Lacovara produced detailed 3D laser scans of the bones before having them shipped back to Argentina. The scans can be used by paleontological researchers anywhere in the world, and the physical fossils are kept in their country of origin where they are displayed in a museum. Many scientists hope that in the future, this becomes a routine part of paleontology, with ownership of a fossil going to the people whose land it was found on. Scientific knowledge can be shared much more easily today using digital technology, giving ever more reason to let the scientists in whose country the fossils were unearthed decide where they should be researched and displayed.
Resources
Having been extinct for millions of years, the body of Dreadnoughtus represents a lost branch of animal evolution, and the substances within that body are unlike those of any modern animal. Therefore, like most de-extinct species, Dreadnoughtus is a potential source of biopharmaceutical products that are most likely unavailable in today’s natural world. Biosyn Genetics spent several years studying this animal for such biopharmaceuticals, although as of 2022 they had not openly stated what discoveries this organism’s genome and physiology had yielded. With Biosyn Genetics Sanctuary now regulated by the United Nations, discoveries made here are more likely to be shared with the world in a timely manner.
While sauropods are always popular with ecotourists and zoo visitors, the restricted nature of this animal’s only confirmed modern home and the fact that it is too large for most animal parks mean that it is unlikely to draw tourists any time soon. Such a big animal produces a lot of dung, however, and the dung of other sauropods is a proven fertilizer. This could potentially make Dreadnoughtus dung a useful export.
Safety
Given its huge size, it would be easy for a Dreadnoughtus to crush a human with minimal effort. A single well-placed stomp would efficiently turn a human body into roadkill, and a swipe of the tail could be fatal or at least seriously injurious. To remain safe around this animal it is best to keep a distance, and while observing it, take note of where it is going. If you notice that it has started to move in your direction, get out of the way. You should also keep an eye on the sky, especially if you are near water; Pteranodons often roost on this animal’s back, and they are known to be aggressive toward animals on the ground.
There is one real reason that Dreadnoughtus does not really attack humans, and that is because humans are much too small to be of any threat to an adult. Chasing after a human or trying to squish one would simply be a waste of energy. That said, it is in your best interest not to make any Dreadnoughtus think you are potentially harmful enough to merit expenditure of that precious energy. Do not approach any nests or juveniles that you see, and if you are in a vehicle, do not drive close to the animals or make excessive noise. It is large enough to crush or overturn even very heavy vehicles. They generally do not fear predators, or in fact anything aside from a natural disaster, but it is better not to risk startling or aggravating them. For the time being, there are no recorded Dreadnoughtus attacks on a human, and by keeping proper conduct around these animals you can hopefully keep it that way.
Behind the Scenes
In its first appearance in the prologue to 2022’s Jurassic World: Dominion, the close-up introductory shot of a Dreadnoughtus leg is a reference to Michael Crichton‘s original novel Jurassic Park. In the novel, Dr. Alan Grant spots what he thinks is a tree trunk, before it suddenly moves and he realizes it is an Apatosaurus leg. The film adaptation had intended to adapt this scene with the introductory shot of a Brachiosaurus, but the footage was cut from the final film. Since the films’ version of Dr. Alan Grant would not be born for tens of millions of years, the audience instead stands in his shoes.
