Photo: Patchanop Boonsai
Paleontologists have discovered fossil remains of a massive long-necked dinosaur in Thailand that lived around 120 million years ago, during a time when the region had a semi-arid climate.
The dinosaur was named Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis and is considered the largest sauropod ever found in Southeast Asia. Researchers estimate it may have reached up to 27 meters in length and weighed around 27 tons.
According to lead author Thitiwut Sethapanichsakul, the dinosaur was likely at least 11 tons heavier than the famous Diplodocus specimen “Dippy.” However, it was still much smaller than giant South American titanosaurs such as Patagotitan and Argentinosaurus.
The fossils were uncovered in the Khok Kruat Formation in northeastern Thailand. A local resident first noticed the remains in 2016 near the edge of a drying pond.
Researchers recovered several vertebrae, pelvic bones, and limb bones, including a fragmented right femur believed to have originally measured around two meters long.
The species belongs to a subgroup of long-necked dinosaurs known as somphospondylan sauropods, which lived from the Late Jurassic into the Cretaceous period and were distributed across multiple continents.
The name “Nagatitan” combines “Naga” — a serpent-like mythical creature important in Southeast Asian cultures and Buddhism — with “Titan,” referencing the Titans of Greek mythology. The species name “chaiyaphumensis” honors Thailand’s Chaiyaphum province.
Scientists believe the dinosaur’s enormous body and long neck may have helped it regulate heat in the hot, dry environment of ancient northeastern Thailand. Its remains were found in what was once a river system inhabited by crocodiles, fish, and fish-eating pterosaurs.
