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Scientists dig up Southeast Asia's largest dinosaur in Thailand
Fossils of Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, Thailand’s largest-known Southeast Asian dinosaur, were first spotted by a villager in Chaiyaphum. A study published May 14, 2026 in Scientific Reports describes the sauropod as roughly 90 feet long with a 1.78-meter humerus, estimating a mass of 25–28 tons. The find provides new insight into regional sauropod diversity during the Cretaceous period.
Why It Matters
The discovery expands understanding of sauropod diversity in Southeast Asia and offers clues about the ecosystem and climate of the region during the Late Cretaceous.
Timeline
2 Events
Public reporting confirms Nagatitan’s size, age, and ecosystem context
May 15, 2026
The reporting notes Nagatitan is roughly 90 feet (27 meters) long, making it Southeast Asia’s largest-known dinosaur. The fossils recovered include spine, ribs, pelvis and leg bones, with a humerus of 5.8 feet (1.78 meters) long. The article places Nagatitan in a Cretaceous environment about 113 million years ago, describing a subtropical climate with forests, savanna-like and shrubland habitats. Nagatitan lived alongside various other dinosaurs and pterosaurs, with rivers hosting crocodiles and fish such as freshwater sharks. The ecosystem’s largest predator was a relative of Carcharodontosaurus, estimated at about 26 feet (8 meters) long and around 3.5 tons.
Scientific Reports publishes study describing Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis
May 14, 2026
Researchers publish a study in Scientific Reports detailing Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis as the largest-known dinosaur from Southeast Asia. The fossils include spine, rib, pelvis and leg bones, including a front leg bone (humerus) measuring 1.78 meters. Based on the dimensions of the humerus and the corresponding hind leg bone (femur), the team estimates a body mass of about 25 to 28 tons. The lead author, Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul of University College London, notes that Nagatitan was likely a bulk browser feeding on vegetation such as conifers and possibly seed ferns, with little need for chewing.