The discovery of some bones at the edge of a pond in Thailand a decade ago has led to the identification of a new type of dinosaur, with a massive size, long neck and tail, and a plant diet.
Named “Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis” by researchers in Thailand and London, the reptile is the largest dinosaur ever to be discovered in Southeast Asia.
Weighing in at an estimated 27 metric tons — or almost 60,000 pounds — it was approximately 27 meters long, or almost 89 feet, according to the study published in the journal Scientific Reports on Thursday. For context, a large Tyrannosaurus rex would have weighed between 9,000 and 15,000 pounds and been more than 12 meters long (about 39 feet).
Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis belonged to a group of dinosaurs known as sauropods, which were the largest animals ever to walk on land. Among these plant-eating, long-necked, thick-legged dinosaurs, with a torso containing a huge gut, were the Diplodocus and Brontosaurus.
The newly discovered dinosaur’s humerus, or front leg bone, measured 1.78 meters (almost six feet) in length, according to a statement.
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