Nagatitan: Largest Dinosaur Found in Southeast Asia

Scientists have identified Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, the largest dinosaur ever found in Southeast Asia, from fossils dug up in Thailand. This giant sauropod weighed between 25 to 30 tons and measured nearly 90 feet long, making it longer than a diplodocus.

Researchers from the UK and Thailand discovered the remains beside a pond in northeastern Thailand's Chaiyaphum province about a decade ago. The dinosaur lived between 100 and 120 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period, according to BBC. It is approximately twice the size of a Tyrannosaurus rex.

The Nagatitan's full name references Naga, a serpent in Southeast Asian folklore, Titan from Greek mythology, and Chaiyaphumensis for its discovery location. The fossils were first spotted by a local resident in 2016, with initial excavations occurring between then and 2019 before funding issues paused the work until new funding allowed it to resume in 2024.

Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul, a Thai doctoral student at University College London (UCL) and lead author of the study published in Scientific Reports, said researchers refer to the Nagatitan as 'the last titan' of Thailand. The fossils were found in the country's youngest dinosaur-bearing rock formation, suggesting it may be the most recent large sauropod discovered in Southeast Asia.

The discovery provides insights into how ancient climatic conditions allowed gigantic dinosaurs to develop. Sauropods seem to have become particularly large during this time, with similar giant forms found in South America, China, and possibly North Africa. The study's co-author, UCL's Prof Paul Upchurch, noted that high temperatures likely impacted the plant fodder important to sauropods.