Move over T-Rex: scientists have identified a brand new giant dinosaur species from fossils found right here in Thailand.
Move over T-Rex: scientists have identified a brand new giant dinosaur species from fossils found right here in Thailand, and it may be the largest dinosaur ever discovered in Southeast Asia.
Kids who are obsessed with dinosaurs are going to love this one.
Scientists from Thailand and the UK have officially identified a brand new species of dinosaur called the Nagatitan Chaiyaphumensis after fossils were discovered in Chaiyaphum province in Northeastern Thailand (or also known as isan). And this wasn’t just any dinosaur either as it was absolutely enormous.
Meet the “last titan” of Thailand
The newly identified dinosaur belonged to the sauropod family – the giant long-necked plant-eating dinosaurs famous for their huge size. Think Diplodocus or Brontosaurus vibes.
The Nagatitan measured around 27 metres long (that’s almost three Bangkok city buses lined up together!) and weighed about 27 tonnes, roughly the same as nine adult Asian elephants.
To make it even cooler, it lived around 100 to 120 million years ago, long before the mighty T-Rex even existed.
Its name has a very Thailand-inspired meaning too:
“Naga” comes from the mythical serpent creatures in Southeast Asian folklore
“Titan” refers to giant gods from Greek mythology
“Chaiyaphumensis” means “from Chaiyaphum”
It sounds exactly like the name of a dinosaur should sound.
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The fossils were found beside a pond in Thailand
The fossils were actually discovered over a decade ago near a pond in Chaiyaphum, but researchers have now officially confirmed it as a completely new species.
The study was led by a Thai doctoral student Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul from University College London, who described himself as a former “dinosaur kid”. In fact, he said naming a dinosaur was something he dreamed about as a child.
Thailand is actually a dinosaur hotspot
Here’s something you may not realise: Thailand is one of Asia’s most important dinosaur fossil regions. We even have an exhibition that showcases specifically only dinosaurs found in Thailand.
The Nagatitan is now the 14th dinosaur species officially named in Thailand and researchers say the country has one of the richest dinosaur fossil records in Asia.
A lot of discoveries come from the Northeastern part of Thailand, especially around Khon Kaen, Kalasin and Chaiyaphum, where dinosaur museums and fossil excavation sites can still be visited today.
So yes, your dinosaur-loving child absolutely has a valid reason to ask for a family road trip now.
Why this discovery matters
Beyond being very cool, scientists say the discovery also helps researchers better understand what Earth was like millions of years ago.
The Nagatitan lived during a period when global temperatures and carbon dioxide levels were much higher than today. Researchers are now studying how giant dinosaurs managed to survive and grow in such warm conditions.
Which basically means dinosaurs are still teaching us new things about our planet – even 100 million years later.
