Scientists say they have discovered the largest long-necked herbivorous dinosaur ever found in Southeast Asia, which may be the last remains of the species they have discovered, according to a new study.
Thitiwoot (Perth) Sethapanicsakul, a Thai PhD student at the University of London’s School of Earth Sciences and the study’s lead author, calls it Thailand’s “last titan.”
Sethapanichsakul told ABC News: “We won’t find any more dinosaur fossils in any younger rocks in Thailand, making this dinosaur the last giant dinosaur we’re likely to find in the region.”
The scientific name of this dinosaur is Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis.
Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul – Photo: Skeleton reconstruction, specimen highlighted in yellow.
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The name comes from the Naga, a mythical snake-like creature in Southeast Asian folklore, and the Titan, one of the Twelve Giants in Greek mythology. Chaiyaphum is the province in Thailand where original fossils were discovered.
Dinosaur fossils were first discovered in 2016 by locals in Thailand’s northeastern Chaiyaphum province. The region’s Department of Mineral Resources unearthed 10 bones in rock formations near the pond, including a front leg bone estimated to be nearly six feet long.
“In fact, when I first saw this specimen, that front leg bone was actually taller than me, which was quite surprising,” Sethapanichsakul said.
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Sethapanichsakul said the excavation team continued to unearth evidence until funding ran out in 2020. After receiving a grant from the National Geographic Society in 2023, he joined forces with a research team to complete the study.
From the remains, scientists discovered something larger than any dinosaur species previously recorded from Southeast Asia – a giant dinosaur estimated to have weighed around 27 tons when it roamed the Earth.
That’s more than twice the size of the African elephant, the world’s largest living land mammal.
Patchanop Boonsai – Photo: Artistic illustration of Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis
“This dinosaur is very unique to us, especially in Southeast Asia, because of its huge size,” explains Sethapanichsakul. “That’s huge compared to what we know currently.”
Scientists say Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis lived during the Cretaceous period about 100 to 120 million years ago. Prehistoric Thailand was home to some of the most diverse dinosaurs in Asia.
“I imagine this is like the next dinosaur boom in Southeast Asia,” Settapani Thakur said.
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Sethapanicsakul said the discovery was more than just announcing a new dinosaur; it created an opportunity to reignite interest in paleontology in Thailand, which didn’t enter the paleontological community until 1986.
“We’ve only been studying dinosaurs in Thailand for about 40 years,” Sethapanichsakul said. “By comparison, the world has known dinosaurs for more than 200 years.”
“We are trying to educate people, especially in rural areas, about the value of paleontology,” he added. “We do that through outreach and things like that, and announcing a brand new dinosaur to get people excited about really helps with that.”
