A massive long-necked dinosaur called Nagatitan chaiyaphumensishas been identified from fossils found in northeastern Thailand. Scientists estimate it reached more than 88 feet in length and weighed around 30 tons.
The bones were found in Chaiyaphum Province, in rock layers from the Khok Kruat Formation dating back about 113 million years. What makes this find stand out is not just its size, but the fact that it is one of the most complete sauropod skeletons ever recovered in Thailand, where fossils are usually very incomplete.
According to the research published in Scientific Reports, the discovery helps fill gaps in what scientists know about huge plant-eating dinosaurs in Southeast Asia, at a time when sauropods were spreading and evolving in many parts of the world.
A Discovery That Started With “Strange Rocks”
The story began in 2016 when local resident Thanom Luangnan spotted unusual rock shapes near a public pond in Chaiyaphum Province. The National Geographic Explorer Sita Manitkoon from Mahasarakham University described them as “strange-looking rocks” before reporting them to Thailand’s Department of Mineral Resources.
When scientists arrived, those“rocks” turned out to be fossil bones, including vertebrae, ribs, hip parts, and limb bones. Once they were studied, the scale of the animal became clear.
“Initial measurements of the bones excavated suggested that this could be the largest dinosaur ever found in Southeast Asia,” he said.
The team named it Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, combining the location of the find with the Naga, a serpent-like figure from local mythology. The name fits well with the animal’s long, snake-like body shape typical of sauropods.
A Giant Built Like Other Long-necked Dinosaurs
Nagatitan belonged to a group of sauropods called somphospondyli. These dinosaurs had long front limbs and a wide stance, which helped support their massive bodies. Paleontologist Paul Upchurch of University College London stated that these features are not always obvious at first glance, but they are key for understanding how these giants evolved.
One striking detail is theright forelimb, which is longer than those of other huge dinosaurs like Patagotitanand Dreadnoughtus. Still, those South American giants were bigger overall, reaching around 60 and 50 tons respectively, so Nagatitan sits a bit below them in size.
Researchers also say this is the most complete sauropod ever found in the Khok Kruat Formation. That matters because earlier finds in Thailand were mostly isolated bones, making it hard to picture what these dinosaurs actually looked like in full.
Anatomy and Scientific Classification of a Lost Giant
Around 113 million years ago, the area that is now Thailand was closer to the equator and had a warm, dry climate. The study in Scientific Reports indicated that the landscape was made up of open shrublands rather than dense forests.
That kind of environment likely helped giant plant-eaters thrive. They could move across wide areas and feed on vegetation at different heights, from tall trees down to low plants like ferns and horsetails. Their movement may even have helped keep the landscape more open by trampling and feeding.
One question scientists often ask is how such huge animals dealt with heat. As Upchurch noteds, it might seem strange that sauropods did so well in warm climates. But their long necks helped release heat, and air sacs inside their bodies likely worked like a cooling system when they breathed.
“The discovery of Nagatitan and its giant relatives in Asia indicates that these dinosaurs had evolved to such enormous sizes since the early Cretaceous, a successful survival mechanism,” concluded Manitkoon.
