Paleontologists have unveiled an exciting discovery: a new genus and species of Somphospondylan titanosaur dinosaur, heralded as the largest ever found in Southeast Asia. Fossilized bones uncovered in Thailand provide compelling evidence that this region once hosted a remarkably diverse array of giant herbivores during the Early Cretaceous period.
Reconstruction of the life of Nagatitan chaiyapumensis in the arid floodplains of the Late Early Cretaceous Aptian-Albian period. Image credit: Pachanop Boonsai.
This newly described dinosaur species inhabited what is now northeastern Thailand approximately 113 million years ago.
Named Nagatitan chaiyapumensis, this ancient giant measured about 27 meters (89 feet) in length and weighed between 25 and 28 tons.
During its time, it coexisted with smaller plant-eating dinosaurs like iguanodonts and early ceratopsians, as well as predatory dinosaurs such as carcharodontosaurs and spinosaurs, alongside sharks, turtles, crocodile relatives, and pterosaurs.
“Our dinosaur is large by most standards, likely weighing at least 10 tons more than Dippy” (referring to Diplodocus carnegie), stated lead author Titiut (Pers) Sesapanitisakul from University College London.
“However, it still pales in comparison to massive sauropods like Patagotitan (60 tons) and Luyangosaurus (50 tons).
The fossil of Nagatitan chaiyapumensis was excavated from the Khok Kruat Formation in Chaiyaphum Province, Thailand.
“We consider Nagatitan chaiyapumensis the ‘last giant’ of Thailand,” Sesapanitisakul explained, “because it was found in a rock formation that contains the youngest dinosaurs.”
“Younger sediment deposited towards the end of the dinosaur era is unlikely to reveal dinosaur remains, as the area transformed into a shallow ocean by then.”
“This could represent the final or most recent large sauropod discovered in Southeast Asia.”
To classify Nagatitan chaiyapumensis, paleontologists compared its anatomy with over 150 other dinosaur species, situating it within the sauropod family tree.
The analysis established that the new species belongs to Euhelopodidae, a group of Somphospondylan titanosaurs primarily found in Asia.
This group also includes notable species such as Puwiangosaurus cylindornae from Thailand and Tanvayosaurus hofeti from Laos.
“This discovery highlights a trend of increased body size among Asian titanosaurs during the Mid-Cretaceous, likely driven by rising temperatures and the expansion of suitable habitats,” the researchers commented.
The identification of Nagatitan chaiyapumensis enhances the known diversity of sauropods in Southeast Asia and significantly contributes to our understanding of titanosaurs’ biogeography in this region.
The team’s paper has been published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports.
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T. Setapanitisakul et al. 2026. The first sauropod dinosaur discovered from the Early Cretaceous Khok Kruat Formation in Thailand enriches the diversity of vertebrate titanosaurids in Southeast Asia. Scientific Reports 16, 12467; doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-47482-x
Source: www.sci.news
