As a kid, Thitiwoot wanted to name a dino. He never knew it'd be this big
The discovery of the Nagatitan, the largest dinosaur ever found in South-East Asia, has been a significant achievement for Thai palaeontologist Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul. The dinosaur, which lived over 100 million years ago, was named after a local mythological serpent and the province where its bones were found. Researchers hope this discovery will inspire future generations of palaeontologists in Thailand.
- ▪The Nagatitan is the largest dinosaur discovered in South-East Asia, weighing about 27 tonnes and measuring 27 meters long.
- ▪The bones were first discovered in 2016 by a villager near a pond in Chaiyaphum province, Thailand.
- ▪Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul, who dreamed of naming a dinosaur from his homeland, is now a PhD student and co-lead author of the research paper describing the find.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
'Nagatitan' is the biggest dinosaur ever found in South-East Asia — and a dream come trueBy ABC Radio National science editor Jonathan Webb for Lab NotesABC ScienceTopic:DinosaursSun 24 May 2026 at 5:00amSun 24 May 2026 at 5:00amSun 24 May 2026 at 5:00amThe skeleton of the Nagatitan was reconstructed based on comparing the recovered bones (in yellow) with those of similar dinosaurs. (Supplied: Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul)In short:A collection of bones discovered next to a pond in Thailand are the remains of the largest dinosaur on record in South-East Asia.One of the scientists who led the work said naming a new dinosaur from his homeland was a childhood dream.What's next?The researchers are determined to inspire future Thai palaeontologists to explore the prehistory of the region.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ABC News (Australia).