- Dinosaur fossils in Thailand revealed a new species, Uragasaurus kalasinensis
- The plant-eating dinosaur lived about 150 million years ago with a long neck
- Fossils were found in Kalasin Province, mainly dinosaur fragments from Jurassic
A dinosaur discovery in Thailand has revealed a new species that lived millions of years ago. The fossil findings have helped palaeontologists learn more about a plant-eating dinosaur with a very long neck and unique features never seen before in other dinosaurs, reported BBC.
Palaeontologists in Thailand have discovered a new species of dinosaur from fossils found in Kalasin Province in the north-east of the country.
The plant-eating dinosaur, named Uragasaurus kalasinensis, is believed to have lived around 150 million years ago. It had an unusually long neck and measured up to 20 metres, which is roughly the length of a cricket pitch.
Dr Apirut Nilpanapan from Thailand's Mahasarakham University, who was the lead author of the study, said that the specimen was part of a large fossil collection from a site that was first identified in 2008. He said that a local man had found fragments that looked like serpent scales, which led to further exploration of the site.
The discovery site, Phu Noi, contained a wide range of fossils from the Late Jurassic period. More than 90 per cent of the fossils found at the site were dinosaur fragments.
When the survey team explored the area, they discovered other fossils, including dinosaur teeth and bones. However, the fossil that led to the identification of the new species was a recovered dorsal vertebra, which is a bone from the middle or upper back, showing distinctive characteristics.
A CT scan showed that the dinosaur belonged to the Mamenchisauridae family of sauropod dinosaurs. These dinosaurs are known for their extremely long necks, which likely helped them reach vegetation at different heights.
Most fossils from the Mamenchisauridae family have been discovered in China, but this finding became the first of its kind in Thailand.
The scan also revealed unique features, including a Y-shaped arrangement of supporting bones known as laminae. Nilpanapan said that the features, especially a unique air-cavity structure, were unlike any other dinosaur in the world and that this is what made it different.
Nilpanapan said that he smashed his computer after realising they had discovered a new species. He added that he felt both exhilarated and relieved.
The study was published in the Nature scientific journal earlier this week.
In May, scientists revealed the discovery of another long-necked herbivore dinosaur, the nagatitan, from remains found in Thailand. The nagatitan is the largest-ever dinosaur found in South-East Asia, weighing 27 tonnes and measuring 27 metres in length.
