Scientists Identify Thailand's Largest Dinosaur, Weighing as Much as Nine Elephants

Scientists have identified a massive new dinosaur from remains discovered in Thailand. The creature weighed as much as nine adult elephants.

The long-necked herbivore measured 88 feet long and weighed about 27 tons, according to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports.

It roamed what is now Thailand between 100 million and 120 million years ago. Researchers said it is the largest dinosaur ever found in Southeast Asia.

They estimated the new dinosaur had the same heft as nine adult Asian elephants.

"Our dinosaur is big by most people's standards — it likely weighed at least 10 tons more than Dippy the Diplodocus," said lead researcher Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul. He referred to the enormous composite cast previously on display at London's Natural History Museum.

The Thai Ph.D. student called the newly discovered sauropod "the last titan." He said it was unearthed in one of the youngest rock formations where dinosaurs are found in Thailand, according to University College London.

The region later became a shallow sea, he added. "So this may be the last or most recent large sauropod we will find in Southeast Asia."

Locals unearthed the first remains of the enormous creature a decade ago in northeast Thailand. The excavation was not completed until 2024, according to the study published Thursday.

The remains partially resembled those of previously discovered sauropods but had enough unique features to be considered a new species.

It has been dubbed Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis. The authors named it after a mythological serpent-like creature found in various Asian cultures, especially in northeastern Thailand, often associated with water and Buddhism, and titan, a giant in Greek mythology.

At the time Nagatitan roamed the region, the ecosystem's largest predator was a relative of the meat-eating dinosaur Carcharodontosaurus. That predator measured about 26 feet long and weighed about 3.5 tons.

"At that size, it was dwarfed by Nagatitan. At full size, Nagatitan likely had very little to fear in terms of predation," Sethapanichsakul told Reuters.

A life-size reconstruction is on display at Bangkok's Thainosaur Museum, according to University College London.