Scientists uncover gigantic new dinosaur species in Thailand

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Researchers have discovered a huge, long-necked dinosaur in Thailand, making it the largest dinosaur yet found in Southeast Asia.

A new species, Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, has been identified thanks to fossils unearthed in Chaiyaphum Province, a region in northeastern Thailand.

Okay, so this dinosaur, Nagatitan, was HUGE. We’re talking about 27 meters long – that’s longer than a whole basketball court! And the weight? Somewhere between 25 and 28 tonnes. To really get a feel for it, imagine nine adult Asian elephants… that’s about how much this thing weighed. Seriously massive!

Massive new dinosaur discovered

Despite its enormous size – comparable to giant monsters in movies – Nagatitan was a type of sauropod, a long-necked, plant-eating dinosaur. These dinosaurs were known for their incredibly long necks, which allowed them to reach high into trees to eat leaves.

So, this dinosaur is HUGE, and the scientists thought its name should reflect that! They combined “Naga,” which is like a mythical serpent from Asian stories, with “Titan,” you know, those giant beings from Greek mythology. Pretty cool, right? And the rest of its scientific name? That comes from the province in Thailand – Chaiyaphum – where they actually dug up the fossils.

A local resident first noticed the large bones in 2016 when low water levels revealed a fossil site close to a community pond. Archaeologists then spent several years carefully excavating the site, finishing the work in 2024.

Scientists have discovered a massive new dinosaur species in Thailand. Called Nagatitan, it’s thought to be the largest dinosaur ever found in Southeast Asia, weighing approximately 27 tonnes and measuring almost 27 meters in length. Researchers believe this dinosaur lived…

— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) May 14, 2026

The study reveals that Nagatitan is the earliest known long-necked dinosaur found in Thailand’s Khok Kruat Formation, a site famous for its fossils from the Early Cretaceous period.

This finding gives scientists a better understanding of the variety of dinosaurs that lived in Southeast Asia and how these massive animals developed and migrated throughout the area millions of years in the past.

This year has seen more than one new dinosaur discovery, including a remarkably cute species found in South Korea – the first new find there in fifteen years.

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2026-05-15 14:18