Qu'est-ce que Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis ?

Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis est une nouvelle espèce de dinosaure sauropode décrite dans Scientific Reports le 15 mai 2026, à partir de fossiles trouvés dans la province de Chaiyaphum, en Thaïlande. Long d'environ 27 mètres pour près de 27 tonnes, il est le plus grand dinosaure jamais découvert en Asie du Sud-Est. Son nom combine le serpent mythique Naga et le mot « titan ».

Quelle taille faisait Nagatitan ?

Les chercheurs estiment Nagatitan à environ 27 mètres de long et près de 27 tonnes — le poids de neuf éléphants d'Asie adultes. Un seul os de sa patte avant atteint 1,78 mètre. C'est un géant, mais il reste plus petit que les records sud-américains comme l'Argentinosaurus.

Pourquoi cette découverte est-elle importante ?

Nagatitan est le plus grand dinosaure jamais trouvé en Asie du Sud-Est, une région encore peu explorée par rapport à l'Amérique du Sud. Il appartient aux Euhelopodidae, un groupe de sauropodes connu uniquement en Asie, ce qui éclaire l'évolution distincte de ces géants asiatiques. On le surnomme « le dernier titan » car il vient de la plus jeune formation à dinosaures de Thaïlande.

🦴 Paleo•2026-06-11•5 min•870 words

Nagatitan: the largest dinosaur in Southeast Asia

27 metres, 27 tonnes, nine elephants on the scale: Thailand just named its giant, and it carries the name of a mythical serpent.

Described in May 2026, Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis is a 27-metre, 27-tonne sauropod from Thailand — the largest dinosaur ever found in Southeast Asia. Its name evokes the legendary serpent Naga.

Reconstitution d'un sauropode géant, le type de dinosaure auquel appartient Nagatitan, plus grand dino d'Asie du Sud-Est — Illustration encyclopédie La Meute QC · source

A 27-tonne giant named after a mythical serpent

On May 15, 2026, the journal Scientific Reports described a new dinosaur species found in Thailand: Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis. It is a sauropod — those long-necked plant-eating dinosaurs — estimated at about 27 metres long and nearly 27 tonnes, the weight of nine adult Asian elephants. A single front leg bone already measures 1.78 metres. With these figures, Nagatitan becomes the largest dinosaur ever discovered in Southeast Asia.

The name tells a story. "Naga" refers to the legendary giant serpent of Thai and Southeast Asian mythology; "titan" evokes the giants of Greek mythology. The species name, chaiyaphumensis, honours Chaiyaphum province, in the country's northeast, where the fossils were unearthed in the Khok Kruat geological formation.

Why it's called "the last titan"

Nagatitan lived in the Early Cretaceous, 100 to 120 million years ago. Researchers nickname it "the last titan" because it comes from Thailand's youngest dinosaur-bearing rock formation — in other words, one of the last readable windows of the age of dinosaurs in the region.

In terms of classification, Nagatitan is a somphospondylan sauropod tied to Euhelopodidae, a subgroup known only from Asia. Its discovery reinforces the idea that these Asian giants formed a lineage distinct from their giant cousins in South America, such as Argentinosaurus or Patagotitan.

A discovery led by a Thai PhD student

The study was led by Thitiwoot "Perth" Sethapanichsakul, a Thai PhD student in the Earth Sciences department at University College London. It is an interesting case of science led by a researcher from the fossil's home country, on ground still little explored compared with the rich beds of South or North America. Southeast Asia remains a frontier of dinosaur paleontology, and Nagatitan shows there are still giants to be found there.

How it compares to other giants

At 27 metres and 27 tonnes, Nagatitan is colossal, but it stays below the South American records. To place the animal, compare it to the largest sauropods documented in our encyclopedia:

📚 Verified sources

ScienceDaily — Scientists discover giant "last titan" dinosaur, Southeast Asia's largest ever(verified 2026-06-11)
Scientific Reports (15 mai 2026) — DOI 10.1038/s41598-026-47482-x(verified 2026-06-11)

FAQ

What is Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis?

Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis is a new sauropod dinosaur species described in Scientific Reports on May 15, 2026, from fossils found in Chaiyaphum province, Thailand. About 27 metres long and nearly 27 tonnes, it is the largest dinosaur ever discovered in Southeast Asia. Its name combines the mythical serpent Naga and the word "titan."

How big was Nagatitan?

Researchers estimate Nagatitan at about 27 metres long and nearly 27 tonnes — the weight of nine adult Asian elephants. A single bone from its front leg reaches 1.78 metres. It is a giant, but stays smaller than South American records like Argentinosaurus.

Why is this discovery important?

Nagatitan is the largest dinosaur ever found in Southeast Asia, a region still little explored compared with South America. It belongs to Euhelopodidae, a sauropod group known only from Asia, shedding light on the distinct evolution of these Asian giants. It's nicknamed "the last titan" because it comes from Thailand's youngest dinosaur-bearing formation.