A groundbreaking discovery in northeastern Thailand has unveiled a new species of giant, long-necked dinosaur, which researchers have named Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, meaning the “last titan” of Thailand. This colossal creature now holds the title of the largest dinosaur ever found in Southeast Asia.
Published in the journal Scientific Reports, the study describes Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis as a titanic plant-eating sauropod that roamed the earth over 100 million years ago. Weighing in at more than 59,000 pounds, this dinosaur far surpassed the size of the infamous Tyrannosaurus rex, which weighed approximately 15,000 pounds.
The remarkable fossils were initially discovered in 2016 by a local resident who stumbled upon what he described as “strange-looking rocks” along the banks of a public pond. This unexpected find led to significant paleontological insights.
Among the unearthed remains were several vertebrae, ribs, portions of the pelvis, and two leg bones, one of which measured an impressive six feet in length. From these fragments, scientists estimated that the dinosaur stretched about 27 meters, or 88 feet, in length, making it comparable in size to a blue whale.
The bones were uncovered in 2016 by a local man who described them as “strange-looking rocks on the banks of a public pond.”
Among the recovered bones were several vertebrae and ribs, parts of the pelvis and two leg bones, one of which measured nearly 6 feet long. From that partial skeleton, the research team estimated the animal measured 27 meters in length, about 88 feet or roughly equivalent to a blue whale.
The research was led by scientists from University College London, Mahasarakham University, Suranaree University of Technology and Thailand’s Sirindhorn Museum. Lead author and UCL PhD student Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul said that when he first saw the bone, “it was taller than me, and that was quite surprising.” He said the dinosaur is about double the size of another known sauropod species in Thailand.
“Naga” refers to a legendary serpent from Thai and Southeast Asian folklore; “Titan” invokes the giants of Greek mythology; and “chaiyaphumensis” means “from Chaiyaphum,” the Thai province where the fossils were found. It is the 14th dinosaur species officially named in Thailand.
Researchers call Nagatitan “the last titan” of Thailand for a geological reason: It was found in the country’s youngest dinosaur-bearing rock formation. The region later became a shallow sea, meaning younger rocks are unlikely to contain dinosaur remains.
“So this may be the last or most recent large sauropod we will find in Southeast Asia,” Sethapanichsakul said.
During its lifetime, researchers said the animal shared its environment with smaller plant-eaters, large predatory dinosaurs, freshwater sharks and crocodile relatives, and flying reptiles called pterosaurs.
The discovery provides insight into how changes in ancient climate and vegetation opened the doors for gigantic dinosaurs to develop.
“This is the most complete sauropod specimen discovered from the Khok Kruat Formation,” said Pedro Mocho, a paleontologist at the Universidade de Lisboa who was not involved in the study. “Until now, the big dinosaurs in Thailand were known only from bits and pieces of skeletons.”
A life-size reconstruction is now on display at the Thainosaur Museum at Asiatique in Bangkok.
