An extraordinary paleontological revelation has emerged from Thailand, with the identification of a novel genus and species belonging to the somphospondylan titanosauriform dinosaur lineage. This colossal herbivore represents the most substantial dinosaur discovery to date within Southeast Asia, furnishing compelling new evidence that this geographical area hosted an unexpectedly varied assembly of gargantuan plant-consuming fauna during the Early Cretaceous epoch.
A stylized artistic depiction of Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis inhabiting the arid floodplains of Late Early Cretaceous Aptian-Albian Thailand. The artwork is credited to Patchanop Boonsai.
This recently classified dinosaur species is understood to have traversed what is presently northeastern Thailand approximately 113 million years in the past.
Designated as Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, this ancient behemoth is estimated to have spanned 27 meters (equivalent to 89 feet) in length and possessed a body mass ranging from 25 to 28 tons.
This magnificent creature shared its ecosystem with a diverse array of other fauna, including smaller phytophagous dinosaurs such as iguanodontians and early ceratopsian relatives, formidable carnivorous dinosaurs like carcharodontosaurians and spinosaurids, in addition to various aquatic life forms including sharks and turtles, alongside crocodilian kin and flying pterosaurs.
“From a conventional human perspective, our dinosaur was immense – it likely outweighed Dippy the Diplodocus (Diplodocus carnegii) by at least 10 tons,” commented lead author Thitiwoot (Perth) Sethapanichsakul, a doctoral candidate pursuing studies at University College London.
“Nevertheless, it is still significantly surpassed in size by sauropods such as Patagotitan (weighing an estimated 60 tons) or Ruyangosaurus (estimated at 50 tons).”
The fossilized remains of Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis were unearthed from the Khok Kruat Formation, located within Thailand’s Chaiyaphum province.
“We refer to Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis as ‘Thailand’s final titan.’ This designation arises from its discovery within the most recent dinosaur-bearing geological stratum in Thailand,” Sethapanichsakul explained.
“It is improbable that younger rock layers, deposited closer to the conclusion of the age of dinosaurs, would preserve dinosaurian fossils, as the region had by that period transformed into a shallow marine environment.”
“Consequently, this specimen may represent the last, or most chronologically recent, large sauropod to be discovered in Southeast Asia.”
In order to precisely position Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis within the evolutionary lineage of sauropods, the paleontological team meticulously compared its anatomical features with those of more than 150 other dinosaur species.
Their comprehensive analysis classified this newly identified species within the group Euhelopodidae, a clade of somphospondylan titanosauriforms predominantly documented in Asia.
This taxonomic grouping encompasses other notable species from the region, such as Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae, discovered in Thailand, and Tangvayosaurus hoffeti, found in Laos.
“We propose that this dinosaur was a component of a more widespread trend among Asian titanosauriforms during the mid-Cretaceous period, which saw an increase in body size. This trend was likely facilitated by escalating ambient temperatures and an expansion of suitable ecological niches,” the researchers stated.
“The unearthing of Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis serves to broaden our comprehension of the diversity present among Southeast Asian sauropods and enhances our understanding of titanosauriform biogeographical distribution across the region.”
The scientific publication detailing this research was officially released today in the esteemed journal Scientific Reports.
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T. Sethapanichsakul et al. 2026. The first sauropod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Khok Kruat Formation of Thailand enriches the diversity of somphospondylan titanosauriforms in southeast Asia. Sci Rep 16, 12467; doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-47482-x
