Nagaтιтan chaiyaphumensis: Thailand’s “Last тιтan” – Southeast Asia’s Largest Dinosaur at Nearly 30 Tonnes

In a landmark 2026 discovery that has rewritten the dinosaur record of Southeast Asia, paleontologists have named Nagaтιтan chaiyaphumensis — a colossal long-necked sauropod that weighed nearly 30 tonnes and stretched 27 metres long, making it the largest dinosaur ever found in the region.

Described in Scientific Reports (May 2026) by Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul and colleagues, the partial skeleton was recovered from the Early Cretaceous Khok Kruat Formation (Aptian–Albian, ~120–100 million years ago) in Chaiyaphum Province, Thailand. The holotype includes a mᴀssive 1.78-metre femur — longer than an average human — plus vertebrae and limb elements that confirm its placement among the euhelopodid тιтanosauriforms.

Nicknamed the “Last тιтan” in popular coverage, Nagaтιтan (“Naga giant”) combines the legendary Southeast Asian serpent deity with the Greek тιтans. Its sheer size places it among the heaviest Asian sauropods and supports evidence of a middle Cretaceous boom in тιтanosauriform body mᴀss across the continent, driven by warmer climates and expanding suitable habitats.

The animal lived in a lush floodplain ecosystem alongside other dinosaurs and would have browsed high vegetation with its elongated neck. Its discovery marks the 14th dinosaur species formally named from Thailand and the first sauropod from the Khok Kruat Formation.

Sethapanichsakul called the find “a giant leap for Southeast Asian paleontology.” With casts now touring Thai museums, Nagaтιтan chaiyaphumensis proves that even the “last” тιтans of Asia were true behemoths — living proof that the region once hosted dinosaurs every bit as majestic as those from Patagonia or North America.