BANGKOK - A group of scientists has identified a new species of giant long-necked dinosaur following the discovery of fossils in northeastern Thailand, believed to be the largest dinosaur ever found in Southeast Asia.
According to a Reuters report, the dinosaur has been named Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis and is estimated to have weighed around 27 tonnes, equivalent to nine adult Asian elephants and measured approximately 27 metres in length.
The fossil discovery was made in Chaiyaphum province in northeastern Thailand and the findings were published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports.
Scientists said the species belongs to the sauropod group, a category of long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs that lived millions of years ago.
Researchers believe Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis is the largest dinosaur ever discovered in Southeast Asia based on the size of the fossils found so far.
The discovery also provides new insight into the diversity of dinosaur species that once inhabited the Southeast Asian region during prehistoric times. - AGENCY