Discovered in north-eastern Thailand from fossils unearthed several years ago, this new prehistoric titan is remarkable both for its colossal size and its great age. This long-necked herbivore is believed to be the largest dinosaur ever identified in South-East Asia.
A spectacular discovery has shaken up current knowledge of Asia’s prehistoric giants. Thai researchers have announced the identification of a new species of sauropod dinosaur of exceptional proportions, based on fossils found in the north-east of the country. The findings of the study, published on 14 May in the journal Scientific Reports, reveal the existence of a gigantic animal that lived between 100 and 120 million years ago in what is now Thailand.
A prehistoric giant even larger than a Diplodocus
Named 'Nagatitan', this herbivorous dinosaur had the long neck characteristic of sauropods and measured around 27 metres in length, with an estimated weight of 27 tonnes. These extraordinary dimensions would make it the largest dinosaur ever discovered in South-East Asia.
To illustrate the significance of the discovery, scientists compared Nagatitan with the famous Diplodocus, one of the best-known dinosaurs in the world. According to Thai researcher Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul, the new specimen would have been 'at least ten tonnes heavier than ‘Dippy’ the Diplodocus', the celebrated composite skeleton once displayed at London’s Natural History Museum.
Specialists believe the prehistoric animal belonged to the titanosaurian sauropod family — four-legged dinosaurs renowned for their monumental size. Although it shared certain similarities with previously known species, the fossilised bones displayed several unique anatomical features, distinct enough to identify it as an entirely new species.
The nickname 'the last titan' was also given to the dinosaur by researchers because of its relatively recent geological age compared with other dinosaurs discovered in the region. Shortly after its existence, this part of Thailand is thought to have gradually been submerged beneath a shallow sea, completely transforming the local ecosystem.
A major discovery for Asian palaeontology
The story of the discovery began around ten years ago, when residents in north-eastern Thailand first spotted the animal’s fossilised remains. However, excavations and the full analysis of the site required several years of work before being completed in 2024.
The discovery could provide valuable new insights into the evolution of giant dinosaurs in Asia, a region still far less documented than North or South America when it comes to sauropod fossils. Researchers also believe that Nagatitan may have been one of the last great sauropods to live in South-East Asia before these giants gradually disappeared.
Beyond its impressive dimensions, the dinosaur above all highlights the still largely untapped palaeontological potential of certain regions of Thailand. Scientists believe that further major discoveries could yet emerge from the country’s rock formations in the coming years.
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