Thailand Unveils 88-Foot Nagatitan, a 30-Ton Dinosaur Found in 113-Million-Year-Old Rock
Updated
Updated · National Geographic · May 14
Thailand Unveils 88-Foot Nagatitan, a 30-Ton Dinosaur Found in 113-Million-Year-Old Rock
9 articles · Updated · National Geographic · May 14
Scientific Reports announced Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, a newly identified long-necked dinosaur from northeastern Thailand estimated at more than 88 feet long and nearly 30 tons.
Bones first spotted as “strange-looking rocks” on a Chaiyaphum pond bank in 2016 led researchers to a specimen described as the most complete sauropod yet found in Thailand’s Khok Kruat Formation.
113-million-year-old vertebrae, ribs, hip bones and limb bones show the animal was a somphospondylan with unusually long forelimbs, though still smaller than giants such as 50-ton Dreadnoughtus and 60-ton Patagotitan.
Researchers say the find helps explain why giant sauropods flourished in Early Cretaceous Asia: warm, relatively dry, open shrubland near the equator may have favored repeated evolution of enormous body size.
Why is this 27-ton giant being called the "last titan" of Southeast Asia?
How did a dinosaur twice the size of an elephant thrive in an ancient arid landscape?
Rescued by a grant, what does this discovery reveal about the future of paleontology?
Southeast Asia’s Largest Dinosaur: The Discovery and Impact of Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis in Thailand
Overview
On May 14, 2026, scientists announced the discovery of Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, a new dinosaur species described in Scientific Reports. This major milestone in paleontology was made possible by crucial funding from the National Geographic Society and support from Explorer Sita Manitkoon. Immediately recognized as the largest dinosaur ever found in Southeast Asia, Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis marks a monumental find for the region. The discovery not only highlights the growing expertise of local researchers but also promises to deepen our understanding of dinosaur diversity and evolution in Southeast Asia.