Meet Nagatitan: The giant dinosaur that once roamed Thailand
Researchers have uncovered a giant new dinosaur species in Thailand, believed to be the largest ever found in Southeast Asia, shedding new light on the region’s prehistoric past and ancient wildlife.
In a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers at University College London (UCL), Mahasarakham University, Suranaree University of Technology, and Sirindhorn Museum in Thailand describe a new species of long-necked herbivorous dinosaur – the largest to ever be found in Southeast Asia.
The team analysed the bones discovered at the edge of a pond in northeastern Thailand around 10 years ago, which included the spine, ribs, pelvis, and leg bones. The front leg bone measured up to 1.78 metres long, and the team estimated the dinosaur would have weighed 27 tonnes and measured 27 metres in length.
They named the dinosaur Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, ‘naga’ refers to the mythological aquatic serpent in Thai and Southeast Asian folklore, and ‘titan’ refers to the giants of Greek mythology. The name chaiyaphumensis means ‘from Chaiyaphum’, the Thai province where the dinosaur was discovered.
What is the meaning behind the new dinosaur's name?
The Nagatitan was a sauropod, a family of dinosaurs with long necks and tails and herbivorous diets – such as Diplodocus and Brontosaurus – that lived during the Early Cretaceous between 100 and 120 million years ago.
Thitiwoot (Perth) Sethapanichsakul, a Thai PhD student at UCL Earth Sciences, said: “Our dinosaur is big by most people’s standards – it likely weighed at least 10 tonnes more than Dippy the Diplodocus (Diplodocus carnegii). However, it is still dwarfed by sauropods like Patagotitan (60 tonnes) or Ruyangosaurus (50 tonnes).
“We refer to Nagatitan as ‘the last titan’ of Thailand. That is because it was discovered in Thailand’s youngest dinosaur-bearing rock formation. Younger rocks laid down towards the end of the time of the dinosaurs are unlikely to contain dinosaur remains because the region by then had become a shallow sea. So this may be the last or most recent large sauropod we will find in Southeast Asia.”
During the Early Cretaceous, the environment was arid to semi-arid, which was where sauropods preferred to live. They would have used their surface area on the neck and tail to help shed heat and regulate their body temperatures.
The area in which the fossils were excavated would have been part of a meandering river system, where other animals such as freshwater sharks and crocodiles would have lived. Nagatitan would also have lived alongside other small dinosaurs, such as iguanodontians, and large meat-eaters, such as spinosaurids.
Nagatitan was a somphospondylan sauropod, a subgroup of sauropods that was widespread around 120 million years ago. The team found it belonged to a narrow group called Euhelopodidae, which represents a lineage of somphospondylan sauropods found only in Asia. It is distinct from other species because of unique features on its spine, legs and pelvis.
Sethapanichsakul said: “My dream is to continue pushing to get Southeast Asian dinosaurs recognised internationally. More international collaborations between Thailand and other institutions like UCL can further our understanding of the region’s palaeobiology and apply it to a global context. This all starts with identifying and describing the specimens we have found first. We have a large collection of sauropod fossils that have not yet been formally described - these may include a number of new species.
Professor Paul Upchurch, a co-author based at UCL Earth Sciences, said: “This discovery comes out of a new collaboration between UCL and colleagues in Thailand. The material was studied both in Thailand and at UCL - 3D scanning and printing has meant that we can study the specimen and collect data without having to travel (good for reducing carbon footprint).
“We have had a long-standing interest in the evolution of these gigantic plant eaters and have good collaborative links with researchers around the world. It is great to work with Thai colleagues and start to get insights into what was happening in Southeast Asia during the Jurassic and Cretaceous.”
The future of Thai dinosaurs
Project leader and National Geographic Explorer Dr Sita Manitkoon, a researcher at the Palaeontological Research and Education Centre, Mahasarakham University said: “Although Thailand is a small country within Asia, we have a very high diversity in dinosaur fossils, possibly the third most abundant in Asia in terms of dinosaur remains. We’ve only really been studying dinosaurs in Thailand about 40 years (since the first dinosaur was named in 1986), and already we have a surge of younger generation palaeontologists, who are actively undertaking research and promoting palaeontology and its importance within the country.”
News reference:
The first sauropod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Khok Kruat Formation of Thailand enriches the diversity of somphospondylan titanosauriforms in southeast Asia | Scientific Reports. Sethapanichsakul, T., Khansubha, S.-O., Manitkoon, S., Hanta, R., Mannion, P.D., and Upchurch, P. 14th May 2026.