Paleontologists identified a new species of giant long-necked dinosaur from fossils unearthed in Thailand, marking the largest dinosaur ever discovered in Southeast Asia. The newly named Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis weighed an estimated 27 tonnes—equivalent to nine adult Asian elephants—and measured 27 meters (88 feet) in length, surpassing the size of a Diplodocus.
The dinosaur belongs to the sauropod family, a group of herbivorous dinosaurs characterized by their long necks and massive bodies. Researchers from the United Kingdom and Thailand identified the species from fossils found beside a pond in northeastern Thailand a decade ago.
Discovery Sheds Light on Ancient Climate
The Nagatitan roamed the Earth between 100 and 120 million years ago, approximately 40 million years before the Tyrannosaurus rex. The discovery provides insight into how changing climatic conditions during the Cretaceous period allowed gigantic dinosaurs to evolve.
Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul, a Thai doctoral student at University College London (UCL) and lead author of the study published in the journal Scientific Reports, described the Nagatitan as “the last titan” of Thailand. The fossils were found in the country’s youngest dinosaur-bearing rock formation.
“Younger rocks laid down towards the end of the time of the dinosaurs are unlikely to contain dinosaur remains because the region by then had become a shallow sea. So this may be the last or most recent large sauropod we will find in Southeast Asia,” Sethapanichsakul said.
Name Rooted in Mythology and Geography
Sethapanichsakul, a self-described “dinosaur kid,” said in a UCL press release that the study “fulfills a childhood promise of naming a dinosaur.” The Nagatitan is the 14th dinosaur species named in Thailand.
Dr. Sita Manitkoon, a paleontologist from Mahasarakham University, noted that Thailand boasts high diversity in dinosaur fossils and is “possibly the third most abundant in Asia in terms of dinosaur remains.”
Climate Connection Raises Questions
The Nagatitan lived during a period when atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were rising alongside high global temperatures. Study co-author Professor Paul Upchurch of UCL said the timing seems paradoxical, as large bodies retain heat and are harder to cool down.
“It seems a little odd that sauropods were able to cope with higher temperature conditions Upchurch told National Geographic. He added to Reuters that “it was likely that the high temperatures had an impact on the plant fodder that was important to sauropods, which were very large-bodied herbivores.”
The discovery underscores the complex relationship between climate change and the evolution of massive dinosaurs during the Mesozoic Era.
