science
New Dinosaur Species Uragasaurus kalasinensis Identified from Thailand Fossil
The BBC reported that palaeontologists named a new 20-metre plant-eating dinosaur from a dorsal vertebra found in Kalasin Province. The specimen lived about 150 million years ago and belongs to the Mamenchisauridae family.
Jul 10, 5:30 PM·1m read1 source
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Palaeontologists identified a new species of plant-eating dinosaur named Uragasaurus kalasinensis from a fossil found in Kalasin Province in northeast Thailand, The BBC reported. The specimen measured up to 20 metres in length and lived about 150 million years ago. The fossil is a dorsal vertebra recovered from the Phu Noi site, which was first identified in 2008.
A CT scan showed the bone belonged to the Mamenchisauridae family and revealed a distinctive Y-shaped arrangement of supporting bones along with an air-cavity structure not previously recorded in other dinosaurs. The study was published in the journal Nature earlier this week.
Dr Apirat Nilphanaphan of Mahasarakham University, the study's lead author, told BBC Thai that the features were "unlike any other dinosaur in the world...
That's what sets it apart". He said he smashed his keyboard after realising they had discovered a new species and felt both "exhilarated and relieved". The find marks the first Mamenchisauridae specimen identified in Thailand.
In May a different long-necked herbivore named nagatitan was identified from remains found in Thailand. That dinosaur weighed 27 tonnes and measured 27 metres in length.
