You might think that scientists must have found all the dinosaurs there are to find by now, but in fact there are always new species being discovered. The latest prehistoric reptile to excite the world of palaeontology is Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis - a 27-tonne giant that was as long as a blue whale. Let’s find out more about the discovery.

Identifying a giant

In 2016, a local man from Chaiyaphum Province in north-eastern Thailand came across a pile of gigantic dinosaur bones lying next to a pond. After extensive studies by researchers from several universities, they were found to belong to a new species of sauropod - the plant-eating dinosaurs like Diplodocus and Giraffatitan that had long necks and walked on four legs.

Named Nagatitan, this dinosaur is the largest ever to be discovered in South-East Asia. Among the pile of bones were some ribs, some vertebrae (the bones of the spine) and two enormous leg bones, one of which measured 1.78m - around the same as an average human. By comparing these to the bones of other closely related species, the researchers estimate that Nagatitan would have weighed 27 tonnes - the same as nine Asian elephants. It would also have measured an incredible 27m long - the same as a blue whale.

The last of the Thai titans

Nagatitan is thought to have lived around 120-100 million years ago, making it one of the youngest species of dinosaur to be discovered in Thailand. The region became a shallow sea towards the end of the dinosaur age, meaning Nagatitan could be the most recent large sauropod that will be found in South-East Asia. For this reason, researchers have nicknamed it ‘the last titan’.

The environment where Nagatitan was found remains similar to how it was in the Early Cretaceous, when the creature walked the earth. The site is believed to have been part of a meandering river system, and other discoveries show the sauropod may have lived alongside fish, freshwater sharks and crocodiles - as well as ceratopsians (beaked dinosaurs with a bony frill, like Triceratops) and iguanodontians (plant-eating dinosaurs that walked on two legs).

When Nagatitan roamed, carbon dioxide levels were rising on Earth and temperatures were high. The warm, dry habitat was ideal for sauropods, who thrived in savannah-like ecosystems. While larger bodies tend to be harder to keep cool, it’s thought that giants like Nagatitan relied on the surface area of their long necks and tails to shed heat, keeping their body temperatures consistent.

Discover the giants of the Mesozoic Era near you

If you’re searching ‘dinosaur event near me’ this summer, don’t miss Dinosaur World Live, which is coming to the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre from 28 July - 6 September 2026. It’s one of the best family dinosaur attractions in London, introducing kids aged three and up to a host of prehistoric characters and offering a 15-minute meet and greet afterwards. Grab your tickets for this award-winning dinosaurs show before they become extinct!