Cretaceous
Meraxes
Meraxes gigas
The catalogue presents Meraxes as a carnivore member of Carcharodontosauridae that lived during the Cretaceous, between 96.0–90.0 Ma. Its estimated range is 11.0–11.5 m in length and 4.0–4.5 t in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Huincul Formation, Neuquén, Argentina. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.
Evidence-backed summary
For Meraxes, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Canale et al. (2022).
The PBDB places it in Giganotosaurini, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Carcharodontosauridae.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Carcharodontosauridae
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range runs from the Cenomanian to the Turonian.
The PBDB catalogues 1 occurrence, with material from the Huincul Formation (1). Provenance: Argentina.
The catalogue records the holotype as CTES-PZ 61 and the type locality as “Huincul Formation, Neuquén, Argentina”.
- CTES-PZ 61
- Huincul Formation, Neuquén, Argentina
The catalogue's reference measurements are 11.0–11.5 m in length and 4.0–4.5 t in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 11.0-11.5 m
- 4.0-4.5 tons
The record gathers 1 bibliographic references registered in the PBDB, listed below.
Where it lived
Fossil occurrences on today’s map and in the tectonic reconstruction.
Positions reconstructed by PBDB/GPlates, not observed; this is not an exact habitat map.
Artistic 3D reconstruction
There is no approved species-specific 3D model yet. Generic anatomy will not be presented as if it were evidence.
Physical Specifications
- Length
- 11.0–11.5 m
- Weight
- 4.0–4.5 t
- Period
- Cretaceous
- Time range
- 96.0–90.0 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 2022
- Described by
- Canale et al.
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Saurischia
- Family
- Carcharodontosauridae
- Genus
- Meraxes
- Species
- M. gigas
Data status
Taxonomic name matched to PBDB and checked on 2026-08-08.
Taxonomic linkage does not automatically validate size, mass, behaviour or appearance.
- Type specimen
- CTES-PZ 61
- Type locality
- Huincul Formation, Neuquén, Argentina