New dinosaur species with neck as long as cricket pitch discovered in Thailand
Palaeontologists in Thailand have discovered a new species of long-necked dinosaur, Uragasaurus kalasinensis, dating back 150 million years. The find, located in Kalasin Province, is significant as it is the first of its kind in Thailand and belongs to the Mamenchisauridae family.
Why it matters
This discovery expands the scientific understanding of prehistoric biodiversity and the geographical distribution of sauropod dinosaurs.
Image source, Artwork by Pakorn Chotchaiyaporn Image caption, Artwork by Pakorn Chotchaiyaporn
Palaeontologists in Thailand say they have discovered a new species of dinosaur from fossils found in Kalasin Province in the country's north-east.
The plant-eating dinosaur, named Uragasaurus kalasinensis, is thought to have lived about 150 million years ago.
It had an unusually long neck and measured up to 20m (66ft) - roughly the length of a cricket pitch.
Dr Apirat Nilphanaphan from Thailand's Mahasarakham University, the study's lead author, told BBC Thai that the specimen was part of a large fossil collection from a site first identified in 2008, when a local man found fragments resembling serpent scales.
The site where the discovery was made, Phu Noi, contained a wide variety of fossils from the Late Jurassic period. More than 90% of the fossils excavated from the site were dinosaur fragments.
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