A new dinosaur with a 20-meter neck has been discovered in Thailand
Paleontologists in Thailand have announced the discovery of a new species of dinosaur. The ancient animal lived about 150 million years ago and had a neck up to 20 meters long.
The new species has been named Uragasaurus kalasinensis. Its remains were found during excavations in Kalasin Province in the northeastern part of the country.
Scientists have discovered a new species of herbivorous dinosaur in Thailand thanks to fossils preserved from the Late Jurassic period. The dinosaur has been named Uragasaurus kalasinensis. According to the researchers’ estimates, it lived approximately 150 million years ago and belonged to the sauropod family Mamenchisauridae—a group of dinosaurs known for their extremely long necks.
This animal’s neck could have reached about 20 meters in length. Scientists speculate that this feature helped the dinosaur reach plants at various heights without expending much energy on movement. The story of the discovery began back in 2008. At that time, a local resident in the Fu Noi area found strange fragments that resembled snake scales. Later, scientists began large-scale excavations at this site.
During their research, they discovered a large number of fossils from the Late Jurassic period. Most of them—over 90%—belonged to dinosaurs. One of the dorsal vertebrae caught the researchers’ attention in particular. After a computer scan, scientists determined that it had unique characteristics and belonged to the Mamenchisauridae family.
Previously, most members of this group had been found primarily in China. This new discovery marks the first confirmed finding of such a dinosaur in Thailand. The study revealed that Uragasaurus kalasinensis had an unusual bone structure. In particular, scientists discovered a Y-shaped arrangement of the supporting structures and a distinctive system of air sacs within the vertebrae.
According to paleontologists, this discovery will help us better understand how dinosaurs with extremely long necks lived and evolved millions of years ago. It also shows that the territory of modern-day Thailand was home to a significant number of unique species in ancient times. This was reported by the BBC.
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