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Thailand Unveils 27-Meter Sauropod, Largest in SE Asia

5/16/2026

Summary

Thai Scientists Discover

Scientists in Thailand identified a new sauropod species named Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis.
The dinosaur measured about 27 meters long, weighed roughly 27 tonnes, and lived 100–120 million years ago in the Early Cretaceous.
Lead author Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul led a team that uncovered fossils in Chaiyaphum Province in 2016 and completed excavation by 2024.
Researchers said Nagatitan is the largest dinosaur ever found in Southeast Asia and the 14th species officially named in Thailand.

Summary

Thai Scientists Resume

Excavation of the Nagatitan site resumed in early 2024 after a funding gap stopped work in 2019.
Villager Thanom Luangnan flagged the bone fragments by a Chaiyaphum pond in 2016.
Researchers used 3-D scanning to share digital fossils with UK partners, avoiding shipment and cutting emissions.
Bones are curated at the Sirindhorn Dinosaur Museum, where vertebrae show triangular anterior aliform processes and a variable ridge that set Nagatitan apart.

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Thai Scientists Discover

Scientists in Thailand identified a new sauropod species named Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis.
The dinosaur measured about 27 meters long, weighed roughly 27 tonnes, and lived 100–120 million years ago in the Early Cretaceous.
Lead author Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul led a team that uncovered fossils in Chaiyaphum Province in 2016 and completed excavation by 2024.
Researchers said Nagatitan is the largest dinosaur ever found in Southeast Asia and the 14th species officially named in Thailand.

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