Babies of the largest dinosaurs to ever walked the Earth known as Rapetosaurus were apparently left alone by their parents right after birth, so sitting on its nest waiting for food is not an option, if they are to survive.

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Scientists discovered fossilized remnants of a baby Rapetosaurus in Madagascar, where they estimated its size similar to a large dog. This particular dino baby however, starved to death after experiencing drought for several weeks, when it hatched from its egg the size of a soccer ball.

Most animal babies including human babies are tiny in size upon birth, however, the Rapetosaurus hatchling already possess adult sized proportions which means that it does not require any parental support to forage plants.

According to paleontologist Kristi Curry Rogers from the Macalester College, these giant babies are known as "precocial" as opposed to altricial babies or offspring that have smaller body dimensions than adults, which means that they cannot stand by themselves and also, requiring parental support for food and protection.

Modern precocial animals consist of lizards, snakes and most reptiles, including some birds and larger mammals like the wildebeest.

According to paleontologist Michael D'Emic from Adelphi University, this is the first evidence of a true precocial dinosaur, which rapidly matured without any parental care or support.

The Rapetosaurus thrived some 67 million years ago, which is also the largest land creature on Madagascar at the time. This baby's remains consist of a partial skeleton that includes limbs and pelvic bones, fingers and toes and several vertebrae, estimated to be four feet long starting from head to tail, and weighing about 50 to 90 pounds during its death.

An adult can grow up to 40 feet long which is a little longer than a school bus, weighing 16 tons or around twice as much as an elephant, according to Curry Rogers. The Rapetosaurus falls under the group of dinosaurs known as titanosaurs, which are the largest creatures to ever walk on the planet.

Titanosaurs are also part of a larger dinosaur family known as sauropods, that are known for their extremely long necks and long tails and massive appetite for plants and all sorts of vegetation.

In this new study, researchers examined the microstructure of the baby bones to take a closer look at preserved cavities that once possessed cells, blood vessels and nerves. The results indicated that the bone density revealed a growing animal, with evidence of bone repair, revealing telltale clues of an active lifestyle and faster metabolism than adults.

This new study is published in the journal Science.