Southeast Asia’s Largest Sauropod: The Discovery of *Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis*

A team led by University College London, Mahasarakham University, Suranaree University of Technology and the Sirindhorn Museum announced a new sauropod species, *Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis*, from the Early Cretaceous (?100–120 Ma). Fossils from a pond margin in Chaiyaphum province include vertebrae, ribs, pelvis and a 1.78-m humerus. The findings, published in *Scientific Reports* on 14 May, identify the animal as the largest dinosaur yet recorded in Southeast Asia.

“‘Last Titan’: Discovery of Southeast Asia’s Largest Dinosaur‘Last titan’: Southeast Asia’s biggest dinosaur discoveredInteresting EngineeringDiscover Magazine

Sauropods were the longest-necked herbivores of the Mesozoic, yet Southeast Asia has yielded only 14 named dinosaur species and few large sauropods. The region’s sediment shifted to shallow marine deposits in the Late Cretaceous, limiting later dinosaur preservation.

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Lead author Thitiwoot (Perth) Sethapanichsakul (UCL PhD student) worked with Dr. Paul Upchurch (UCL) and Dr. Sita Manitkoon (Mahasarakham University); the study was funded by the National Geographic Society and supported by the Natural History Museum and Thailand’s Department of Mineral Resources.

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• Length: ~27 m (?89 ft)

The Straits Times

• Mass: 25–28 t (?27 t median)

The Straits Times

• Age: 100–120 Ma (Strait Times cites 113 Ma)

‘Last titan’: Southeast Asia’s biggest dinosaur discovered

• Taxonomy: Somphospondylan -> Euhelopodidae

‘Last titan’: Southeast Asia’s biggest dinosaur discovered

*Nagatitan* bridges a geographic and temporal gap in sauropod evolution, showing that extreme size persisted in arid-to-semi-arid Cretaceous habitats of SE Asia. Its discovery underscores Thailand’s rising profile in global paleontology.

“‘Last Titan’: Discovery of Southeast Asia’s Largest Dinosaur

Sethapanichsakul called *Nagatitan* “the last titan” of Thailand, noting that younger strata are unlikely to contain dinosaur fossils because of marine transgression. Upchurch highlighted its value for studying sauropod diversity and the possible link between high Cretaceous temperatures and gigantism, while Manitkoon noted Thailand may host the third-most abundant dinosaur remains in Asia and stressed community outreach.

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Villagers reported bone fragments in 2016; the Department of Mineral Resources excavated ten bones, including the humerus, before a 2020 funding pause. A 2023 National Geographic grant completed the study.

Researchers discover a new gigantic dinosaur species in Thailand

Age estimates range from a broad 100–120 Ma to a specific 113 Ma figure. Mass estimates vary between 25–28 t and a single 27 t value. The skull and teeth are missing, limiting dietary inference, and additional sauropod material from other Thai provinces remains undescribed.

‘Last titan’: Southeast Asia’s biggest dinosaur discovered

• “Our dinosaur is big by most people’s standards – it likely weighed at least 10 tonnes more than Dippy the Diplodocus (Diplodocus carnegii).” — Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul, PhD student, UCL

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• “We refer to Nagatitan as ‘the last titan’ of Thailand.” — Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul

‘Last titan’: Southeast Asia’s biggest dinosaur discovered

• “Nagatitan gives a glimpse of the period leading up to the eventual peak in body size and temperatures about 10 to 15 million years later,” — Dr. Paul Upchurch, UCL

The Straits Times

Excavation at the Khok Kruat site continues, with prospects for additional *Nagatitan* elements or other sauropod specimens. Researchers will apply 3-D scanning and phylogenetic analysis to the broader, yet-to-describe Thai sauropod collection, aiming to refine regional evolutionary timelines.

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