Palaeontologists in Thailand have discovered a new species of dinosaur. They found the fossils in Kalasin Province, in the northeastern part of the country.
The plant-eating dinosaur is named Uragasaurus kalasinensis. Scientists believe it lived about 150 million years ago. It had a very long neck and was up to 20 meters (66 feet) long, which is about the length of a cricket pitch.
The discovery was based on a dorsal vertebra, which is a bone from the dinosaur's back. Dr. Apirat Nilphanaphan from Thailand's Mahasarakham University led the study. He explained that a local man first found fossil fragments in 2008. The site where the fossils were found, called Phu Noi, contains many dinosaur fragments from the Late Jurassic period.
Scientists used a CT scan to study the bone. The scan showed that the dinosaur belonged to the Mamenchisauridae family. These sauropod dinosaurs are known for their extremely long necks, which helped them reach leaves at different heights. Most fossils from this family have been found in China, making this the first discovery of its kind in Thailand.
The CT scan also showed unique features, including a Y-shaped structure in the bones and a special air cavity. Dr. Nilphanaphan said these features make the dinosaur different from any other dinosaur in the world. The study was published in the scientific journal Nature.