Te Papa's Dinosaurs of Patagonia exhibition. Photo: Neil Price / Te Papa
Replicas of one of the biggest dinosaur skeletons ever discovered will be on display in Wellington this summer.
From Saturday, the 30m-long Patagotitan mayorum will be on show at Te Papa as part of Dinosaurs of Patagonia.
It was discovered in 2010 by a sheep herder, and excavated - along with five others - in 2014.
"These Patagonian giants are some of the most important dinosaur discoveries of all time," said Te Papa palaeontologist Dr Felix Marx.
"The sheer scale of these animals is mind-blowing, and they give us incredible new insights into dinosaur evolution."
Te Papa's Dinosaurs of Patagonia exhibition. Photo: Neil Price / Te Papa
Patagotitan mayorum was one of the largest titanosaurs to walk the Earth, as least as far as we know, alongside Argentinosaurus and Puertasaurus. It weighed about 57 tonnes.
The interactive exhibition will feature a dozen "precise replica skeletons" of Patagonian dinosaurs, "made using 3D scanning [with] unparalleled detail and scale". They lived between 66 and 180 million years ago.
Te Papa's Dinosaurs of Patagonia exhibition. Photo: Neil Price / Te Papa
"Te Papa visitors expect a wow factor, and that's exactly what this show will deliver," Te Papa Tumu chief executive Courtney Johnston said. "We are so excited to bring this global sensation to Aotearoa."
Te Papa is the only museum where Dinosaurs of Patagonia will be held. The exhibition opens on Saturday, and runs until 28 April.
Tickets cost $29.90 for adults, $22.50 for those with a concession pass (eg. students, SuperGold and Community Services cardholders) and $14.90 for children. There are family discount offers available.
