New dinosaur species with neck as long as cricket pitch discovered in Thailand

Scientists in Thailand have announced the discovery of a new species of sauropod dinosaur, Uragasaurus kalasinensis, from fossils unearthed in Kalasin Province, Thailand’s northeast. The plant‑eating dinosaur lived roughly 150 million years ago during the Late Jurassic period.

Uragasaurus kalasinensis is notable for its towering 20‑metre neck – about as long as a cricket pitch – and a total length of up to 20 m (66 ft), giving it a 3‑metre height.

Lead researcher Dr Apirat Nilphanaphan explained that the specimen sprang from a collection of dinosaur fragments collected at the Phu Noi site, first identified in 2008. More than 90 % of the fossils excavated there were dinosaur bones, including teeth and vertebrae.

The breakthrough came from a dorsal vertebra that showed distinctive characteristics: a Y‑shaped lamina arrangement and a unique air‑cavity structure, aligning it with the Mamenchisauridae family – long‑necked sauropods previously only known from China. The discovery marks the first Mamenchisauridae species found in Thailand.

Emotions ran high when Dr Nilphanaphan realized the significance of the find, reportedly smashing his keyboard in excitement. The study was published in the science journal Nature this week.

This discovery follows the identification of the nagatitan, a 27‑metre long sauropod from Thailand, which was declared the largest dinosaur found in Southeast Asia.