Scientists identify massive new dinosaur following Thailand dig

Boasting the equivalent value of 9 elephants, Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis had capable unsocial features to beryllium considered a caller species.

Scientists person identified the remains of a monolithic caller taxon of dinosaur successful Thailand, estimated to person weighed arsenic overmuch arsenic 9 big elephants.

“Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis” is the largest-known dinosaur from Southeast Asia, and ⁠a subordinate of the dinosaur lineage called sauropods, known for having agelong necks and tails, tiny heads and 4 columnar legs, according to a study published connected Thursday successful the Scientific Reports journal.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3Philippine Congress impeaches VP Sara Duterte for 2nd time
• list 2 of 3Thailand’s Thaksin Shinawatra released from prison
• list 3 of 3Dinosaurs to supercrocs: Niger’s bony keepers sphere its past fossils

The herbivore stretched 27 metres (89 feet) and weighed astir 27 tonnes, according to the survey referenced successful the report.

The dinosaur is apt to person roamed what is present Thailand betwixt 100 and 120 cardinal years agone and is the largest ever recovered successful Southeast Asia, researchers said.

Its caput and teeth were not among the fossils recovered, but researchers person a bully thought of its feeding preferences based connected different sauropods.

“Nagatitan was astir apt a bulk browser that focused connected consuming precocious volumes of vegetation that required small to nary chewing specified arsenic conifers and perchance effect ferns,” said Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul, a University College London PhD pupil successful palaeontology and pb writer of the research.

Sauropods were immoderate of the largest recorded onshore animals successful Earth’s history.

“Our dinosaur is large by astir people’s standards. It apt weighed astatine slightest 10 tonnes much than Dippy the Diplodocus,” said Sethapanichsakul, referring to the tremendous composite formed antecedently connected show astatine London’s Natural History Museum.

The Thai PhD pupil called the recently discovered sauropod “the past titan” due to the fact that it was unearthed successful 1 of the youngest stone formations wherever dinosaurs person been recovered successful Thailand.

He added that it’s fitting to telephone Nagatitan Southeast Asia’s past “titan” due to the fact that the portion became a shallow oversea successful the Cretaceous period, meaning ⁠no much sauropods would unrecorded there.

Nagatitans belonged to a subgroup of sauropods that originated astir 140 cardinal years ago, and astir 90 cardinal years ago, they became the lone sauropods near worldwide, thriving until the dinosaur property ended 66 cardinal years agone with an asteroid impact.

The archetypal remains of the tremendous carnal were unearthed a decennary agone by locals successful northeast Thailand, but the excavation was not completed until 2024, according to the study.

The remains partially resembled those of antecedently discovered sauropods, but had capable unsocial features to beryllium considered a caller species.

Nagatitan’s sanction references Naga, a serpent-like being successful immoderate Asian spiritual traditions that is prominently depicted successful assorted Thai temples. ⁠In all, determination are 14 known named dinosaurs from Thailand.

A life-size reconstruction of Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis is connected show astatine Bangkok’s Thainosaur Museum.