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New 30-Meter Thai Sauropod ‘Nagatitan’ Is Southeast Asia’s Largest Known Dinosaur

The peer-reviewed study raises new questions about how giant herbivores thrived in much warmer, high-CO2 climates.

Overview

  • An international team from UCL and Thai institutions has named the new species Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis in Scientific Reports.
  • Researchers estimate the animal at roughly 27–30 meters long and about 27 tonnes based on vertebrae, ribs, the pelvis, and a 1.78‑meter forelimb bone.
  • Fossils from Ban Pha Nang Sua in Chaiyaphum were first exposed in 2016, with major digs in 2016–2019 and a final excavation in 2024.
  • Nagatitan is diagnosed by a distinctive mix of vertebral, pelvic, and limb features that separate it from other sauropods.
  • The team says the site sits in Thailand’s youngest dinosaur‑bearing rocks, so this may be the last large sauropod likely to be found in Southeast Asia, and a full‑size 3D reconstruction is set for display in Bangkok.