Rare new dinosaur species discovered in Thailand

The fossil remains of an extremely rare new species of dinosaur have been discovered in Thailand.

According to international media reports, paleontologists uncovered the remains of a previously unknown dinosaur species in Kalasin Province located in northeastern Thailand.

Researchers said the dinosaur was a long-necked, plant-eating sauropod that fed on tree leaves. It possessed several unique anatomical features that have not been observed in any other known dinosaur species.

The newly identified herbivorous dinosaur has been named Uragasaurus kalasinensis. Scientists believe it lived around 150 million years ago during the Late Jurassic period. It had an exceptionally long neck and its total body length reached about 20 meters roughly the length of a cricket pitch.

Dr. Apirot Nilpanapan of Mahasarakham University said the fossils were discovered at the same site where dinosaur remains were first identified in 2008 after a local resident found a fossil fragment and reported it to authorities prompting further excavations.

The discovery site, Phu Noi contains a rich collection of Late Jurassic fossils with dinosaur remains making up nearly 90 percent of the fossils found there. During the excavation, researchers uncovered dinosaur teeth, bones and other fossilized remains leading to the identification of the new species.

According to media reports, the findings were published this week in the scientific journal Nature. Earlier in May, scientists also announced the discovery of another long-necked herbivorous dinosaur, Nagatitan based on fossils found in Thailand. Nagatitan is considered the largest dinosaur ever discovered in Southeast Asia weighing approximately 27 tonnes and measuring 27 meters in length.